Infection
by Angel1876
Summary: Lindsay isn't feeling too well suddenly. What will Heiter do? Warning, strong language, some abuse, and a twisted love story.
1. Infection

"Listen to me you sick bastard! Let me the fuck go!" Lindsay called after the man as he made his way up the stairs. He ignored her, of course, and she was left alone once more. She screamed furiously and writhed against the ropes that kept her bound to the wheelchair, determined to make him hear her.

Time passed, maybe minutes, maybe over an hour, and Heiter didn't return. Eventually her body forced her to stop, and she went limp against her restraints, panting heavily. Her throat burned horribly, and her yelling had made it hurt so very much more than it already had. Every time she swallowed it was as if she'd drank fire, it was so bad. For some reason, it was much worse at that moment than it had ever been before.

Her throat wasn't the only thing bothering her, she suddenly noticed. Her entire being ached. Her stomach twisted, her head throbbed, and she felt as if the room were freezing. Bile rose in her throat, and before she realized what was about to happen, she threw up the food she'd just eaten into her lap.

Exhaustion overtook her, and Lindsay fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

><p>Heiter jerked awake, his sleep violently interrupted for an unknown reason. The man rolled over onto his back and gazed at the ceiling, his half aware mind worked to find what had woken him. The room seemed to be in order, nothing was different. A glance out the window showed him a normal, perhaps a bit chilly, night.<p>

He sighed to himself and sat up, completely awake. What could possibly be wrong? It seemed to be a ordinary, calm, quiet...

That annoying girl wasn't making any noise. That was the problem, she was usually screaming her full head off well past the time it read on the clock. That was very strange for her to do, seeing as she appeared to be under the impression that bothering him was the only productive activity available to her.

Again, he sighed. He wasn't going to get any rest until he checked on her, was he? He stood and pulled his white coat on as he left the room.

He expected to hear her constant stream of complaints as soon as he went down the spiral staircase, but the basement was wearily silent. When he saw her, he knew why.

She was unconscious and covered in her own vomit. He lightly pressed a hand to her forehand, and found her sickly pale skin was very hot. The woman was obviously very ill. Was she breathing? He pressed two fingers to the artery in her throat and felt it throb, very softly and slowly. He let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding.

Deciding he couldn't just let her sit there covered in sick, he untied her binds and carried her to the bathroom to clean her. Odd, she felt lighter than he would have imagined.

He placed her into the tub and ran some warm water. He was carful for it not to be too warm or too cold, and when the bathtub was halfway full he turned it off. She didn't move throughout any of this. He washed her gently with a soft sponge and made sure she was completely clean before draining the water. She was shivering in the cool air, so he quickly dried her off and took her to his room.

He lay her in the bed and pulled the covers over body. He heard a soft moan from her, but she was still unconscious. He grabbed a toung depressor and a flashlight and took a close look at her throat. It was red, raw and bleeding. It was also very clearly infected, he could see large yellow puss pockets everywhere. This must have been caused by all her constant yelling, and he wondered if this would convince her to be quiet once in a while.

He set up an iv to feed her medication, then lay next to her. It was unusual to see her and not hear her. In fact, it was slightly unnerving...

He rolled over with his back to her, and tried to go back to sleep. He didn't get far in his efforts, as the girl started to whimper and squirm, as if she were having a bad dream. He tried to ignore her, he really did, but it was starting to get on his nerves. When he could take it no more, he turned around and pulled her into his arms. She was still very feverish, and she trembled against him.

"Shh. Seien Sie immer noch." he murmured quietly as he stroked her hair. Despite his disdain for the girl, he couldn't help but smile to himself. This was something he'd wanted to do for a while now. "Es ist in Ordnung." Be still. It's all right.

He fell asleep holding her. And if he was going to be honest with himself, it was the best sleep he'd had in a long time.

* * *

><p>Translation<p>

Seien Sie immer noch: Be still.

Es ist in Ordnung: It's alright.


	2. Comfort

Lindsay stirred restlessly in her sleep, and pulled the covers closer to herself for comfort. She felt oddly happy, safe and warm, in the soft bed. But wait, why was she in a bed? She hadn't been in one since...

Since Heiter had operated on herself and two other people.

And to whom did the arm around her waist belong to? _No_...

She jerked herself away from him and fell with a dull thunk to the floor. The air felt like ice after the warmth of the bed. As she lay there, shivering, Heiter sat up and gave her a disapproving glare. She met his eyes evenly, "Wh-" she tried to scream at him, but the agony that stabbed in her throat put an end to it. She swallowed, shuddering at the pain, and said in the loudest whisper she could manage, "What the...fuck am I...doing..."

"Ruhig sein." he said, something she knew to mean 'be quiet.' She snarled angrily at him, then whimpered at the burning that it caused he sighed quietly, "Lindsay." he sounded like he was forcing himself not to be mad. "You are ill. Calm, before you make it worse."

This only upset her more, "Why, the fuck...would you...care?"

He stood, and her heart started to pound hard in her chest. Fearful of what he would do, she scooted away, cursing as her useless legs failed to obey her commands. She felt the i.v. in her arm strain as it was stretched to his limit. Before she could pull it out, he kneeled in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders to keep her from moving. She flinched, expecting him to hurt her, or to yell.

"Dummes Weib, still zu sein." he said, his voice unexpectedly soft. She closed her eyes, expecting him to explode at any moment.

"Please, don't..." she whispered as he placed a hand under her chin, forcing her to face him.

"Look at me." he ordered. When she didn't comply, he said it again, more firmly, "Girl,_ look at me._"

She just wanted to be left alone, she didn't want him near her. But what was she supposed to do? She was weak, sick and so tired of this... what else could she do? Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and gazed into his. "Please..." she whispered, and she felt tears start to gather "I, I can't..."

He sighed quietly, and picked her up to put her back on the bed. "If you don't rest, you will get worse." he covered her with the thick blanket, "Back to sleep, or I will make you." the tone in his voice left no room for argument.

She scooted away from him when he lay down next to her. He growled, and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her next to him. She tried to squirm away again, but this time he was awake, and his grip was like a vice. She whimpered, and the tears finally fell. Great, now she was crying in the arms on the one man she hated most in the world.

But he was warm. His body heat reminded her how cold she felt, and though she loathed herself for it, she stopped fighting. No, she did more than just stop fighting, she completely broke down, sobbing into his coat sleeve while he stroked her hair. Everything that she'd been through finally burst through the wall she'd built to keep it in. Her throat throbbed horribly with each sound she made, but she didn't care. It didn't matter, _nothing mattered_. She'd lost everything, _everything_, and the only comfort available to her was the last person she wanted near her.

Slowly, the tears slowed, and then stopped. She realized she'd been clinging to his lab coat, and quickly let go. "W...why?" she hissed at him, "After every, everything you did, to me, why don't...why don't you...kill me?"

"Ich weiß nicht." he whispered. She had no idea what it meant, and really, she didn't care anymore.

* * *

><p>Translation<p>

Ruhig sein: Be quiet.

Dummes Weib, still zu sein: Stupid woman, be quiet.

Ich weiß nicht: I do not know.


	3. Sleep

Heiter continued to stroke the woman's hair even after she'd drifted back to sleep. Her body heat had risen even more, but she clung to him as if she were freezing. He hoped the fever would break soon, he was starting to sweat under the covers.

'Why?' she'd asked, and it was a good question. Why didn't he kill her and be done with it? He'd thought of it before, but he hadn't known she was questioning it as well. Perhaps she wasn't as oblivious to the world around her as he thought she was.

He sighed to himself and glanced at the almost empty i.v. bag, and he knew he'd have to change it. Slowly, he pulled away from her. She whimpered and grabbed at him in her sleep, but he evaded her wandering hands and set to replacing the bag. As the cool air hit him, he became aware of how wet the arm of his lab coat was, due to the fact she'd been crying on it shortly before. He growled softly in annoyance, and tossed it to the floor. He'd have to clean it later, but at the moment he had more important things on his mind.

He replaced the bag and threw the old one out. Lindsay whimpered, and he sighed quietly. She was asleep, and yet she was still so annoying...

He nudged her back to her side of the bed and lay back down next to her. Immediately, she latched onto him. "Warum ich?" he muttered to himself as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Don't leave..." she whispered quietly, and he glanced down at her as she pressed her face into his arm. She wasn't quite awake, but she wasn't completely asleep either. Did she even realize who she was talking to?

"I'm not moving." he informed her, and she relaxed again. How odd, that she seemed to be so bothered by a few moments absence. She certainly was a confusing woman. She clung to him, even after suffering so much abuse at his hand. Perhaps he'd finally caused her to lose her mind. More likely, this attitude was temperately, and as soon as she felt better, she'd return to being the loud obnoxious person he'd dealt with for months.

He grabbed the flashlight and rolled her onto her back. She moaned, and her eyes opened to stair unfocused up at him. "Open your mouth." he instructed as he tugged at her lower jaw. She complied, though she was so out of it she didn't think she knew what was happening. He shined the light into her mouth and checked her throat. Better than it had been, but not much. Most likely still painful. It'd probably take another day or so before he could feed her again.

He put the flashlight back down and pulled her against him, his fingers running through her hair. "Back to sleep." he told her, not that she wasn't already.

* * *

><p>He awoke to the girl next to him whimpering quietly. She moaned and shivered in her sleep, and he quickly realized she was having a nightmare. Quickly, he nudged her arm, and she bolted awake.<p>

"Heiter." she whispered, her voice cracking. She scooted away and stared at him from the edge of the bed. He tensed, readying himself for a fight, but she just sat there.

"How do you feel." he asked, noting how she flinched when he spoke.

"Better...but it still hurts." she murmured. At least she'd figured out she needed to keep her voice down.

"Lay down." he ordered. She hesitantly did so, but remained as far from him as she could get.

He sighed to himself. She was tolerable now, but she'd be back to normal as soon as she was well again. Part of him wished she'd just stay sick... No, why would he wish that? If she remained ill, she'd be forced to stay in his bed indefinitely. He'd have to deal with her so much more often than when she

stayed in the basement.

But would that be such a bad thing...?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm sorry it's so short, but I hope everyone likes it anyway. *smiles* I seem to be having a bit of wrighters block with this story, so if anyone has any sugestions, or scenes they'd like to see, you're more than welcome to let me know. Please? I have cookies...shaped like centipedes. ^^<strong>


	4. Bath

**AN: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! Cookies for all! And thank you, Ravyn Skye, for the ideas. Special centipede cookies for you! **

* * *

><p>Heiter sat next to the woman on the bed, a bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other. Another day had passed, and Lindsay had finally gotten well enough to eat. True, she flinched with every spoonful of warm broth, but at least she was getting some of the nourishment she needed. She wasn't throwing the normal insults at him, wasn't fighting him as she usually did. <em>'It is temporary,<em>' he reminded himself firmly as he placed the empty bowl on the floor, in the corner, to deal with later.

He placed a hand on her forehead to find the fever had mostly broken. Also, her skin was coated with a noticeable layer of sweat. She would have to be cleaned, most defiantly. He also thought of the diaper she wore, which hadn't been changed since she'd fallen ill. He rather hoped she hadn't developed any sores or rashes, or come down with another infection.

It was settled, she would be cleaned.

* * *

><p>Lindsay didn't complain when he fed her. She realized she hadn't said much, but she...didn't know what to say anymore. She was so sick and tired of fighting, and he wasn't even going to listen to her, anyway. She wanted to believe that was it, that her pure exhaustion was the only reason she didn't feel like fighting him at the moment. But...his hand was warm when he touched her face...<p>

She was pulled from her thoughts as he slid his arms under her, a startled yelp burning her still hurting throat, "What are you doing?" she demanded as loud as she could, which wasn't very.

"You must be washed." he pointed out in that matter-of-fact voice of his she'd come to hate. With a sigh, she relaxed and allowed him to pick her up. As much as she didn't want to admit it, a bath sounded great.

Which, it appeared, she would be getting, as he carried her into his bathroom. She felt her heart skip a couple beats in her chest, for she couldn't even remember the last time she'd been cleaned without ice water, a rag and a bucket.

He sat her on the toilet, and with quick, skilled hands he removed the diaper he'd forced her to wear. She gasped as pain flashed through her lower regions, suddenly realizing that, due to not being changed in a while, a rash had formed. Heiter made an odd, almost grunting sound of disapproval as he tossed the wet thing away. Of course, it was only wetness that had caused it. Since she hadn't eaten anything but the single bowl of broth, and had vomited her last meal, there wasn't anything solid in her digestive system to get rid of.

She remembered when he'd first made her wear one. It was understandable, she knew, because she wouldn't be able to go herself, even if he hadn't tied her to a chair. But she'd been incredibly mad at the time. She'd tried to claw one of his eyes out, and had failed miserably. Actually, she was sure that was the reason he kept tying her down in the first place. And keeping her nails short.

He ran the water, waited for the tub to fill, and placed her in it. All in complete silence, save for the sound of liquid as it hit the smooth surface.

The heat felt wonderful as it melted in to her sore muscles. For the first time in days, she felt truly warm. She thought of her parents suddenly, back in her hometown. She'd been due back months ago. Were they worried? Were people looking? Had...had she been declared dead yet?

Once more, she was pulled back into reality by the crazy doctor as he began wiping the filth from her body.

* * *

><p>He was softer than he normally was when he bathed her, knowing how sensitive the skin can get when one was ill. He didn't even use soap, as the chemicals in it would likely irritate the rash further. He knew he should have changed her sooner, but she'd needed the rest. He, very gently, ran the sponge over the inflamed aria, watching as she flinched from the contact. He moved on to her arms, and shoulders. She relaxed, and closed her eyes, but her head was turned away from him. Was she trying to ignore him? Or...was she actually...<em>enjoying<em> this? He wasn't completely sure, but the latter appeared to be so. She _had_ been acting odd as of late.

"Why haven't you killed me?" she asked suddenly, her quiet voice loud in the small room.

"Ich weiß nicht." he answered, repeating what he'd said before.

"I don't understand German. I only know a couple words."

"I know." he put the sponge down. He'd keep her in there, for a little while. He thought it might be good for her.

"Heiter," she said, and he could hear the slight strain in her voice, "Please." she turned her head to him, her eyes open and gazing into his own.

He tilted his head a little to one side, curious. She'd gone from 'fuck you' to 'Heiter, please.' He sighed, "I do not wish to answer that question. If I wanted you to know, I would tell you in English." he paused, but before she could press the matter, he reached out and touched her hair. It was wet at the ends, where it had touched the water. "I can brush this, if you want."

A long moment passed. He watched her, as she considered his offer. He usually just did it, as opposed to asking her about it. Finally, she gave a small nod, and an even smaller "Please?" that he wasn't completely sure he'd even heard. He pulled away, and went to get the brush he'd left in the basement.

* * *

><p>Translations<p>

"Ich weiß nicht: I do not know.


	5. Fear

He kneeled next to the bath tub, lightly running the brush through her hair. Every knot had been done away with, leaving it smooth and soft, if slightly oily. He'd decided not to wash it just yet, thinking that it would cause her to remain ill. He couldn't deny he felt content at that moment, considering he always liked her best when brushing her hair. She was quiet and calm, leaning into his touch... not unlike what his dogs did before he'd started his first experiment.

He put the brush down on the floor, and replaced it with his hands. Carefully leading his fingers through her hair, stopping to massage her scalp every now and then.

"Heiter," she spoke after several moments, "Don't you hate me?" the question made him pull away and he met her gaze evenly.

"I dislike human beings." he said simply. Though, really thinking about it...he couldn't say he 'hated' her. The woman was annoying, loud, had constantly attempted escape, logically, he should have disposed of her a long time ago. Yet for whatever reason, he still found the idea unappealing.

"Will you..." she started, then trailed off, looking away from him again. He watched her, waiting, but she shook her head, "The water's getting cold." Heiter checked it, and realized the temperature had dropped drastically. They'd been in there longer than he'd been intending. He pulled the plug, grabbed a towel, and set to drying her off. Again, silence filled the room. "Do I have to go back in the basement soon?" she blurted out suddenly, looking at him with wide, nervous eyes.

"Not until you are well." he answered as he picked her up. She was shaking in his arms, but he assumed it was simply from the chill that came naturally after being wet. He started back to his room, noting how thin she felt. He'd have to get more food into her soon, something better than broth.

"I..." again, the woman started a sentence, then stopped. He sighed softly.

"Lindsay, either finish what you are going to say, or do not start saying it." he said, perhaps a little harsher than he'd intended to because she whimpered and said nothing else.

He placed her in bed and covered her, wanting to be sure she was warm enough. He watched her closely, how odd she was acting. What could possibly be bothering her? Deciding it wasn't worth the effort to press matters, he stepped away from her, toward the door, "I will be back later." she nodded once, and he left without another word.

* * *

><p>Lindsay pulled the covers up over her head as soon as the insane man was out the door, her body shaking as her heart hammered in her chest. What was she thinking? Why did the thought of being back in the basement bother her so? Was she just worried about getting sick again? Was that it? And the question that she'd tried to ask him, but couldn't bring herself to...<p>

It was something she'd been afraid of since the moment he'd put her down there in the first place. Something she'd managed to forget in the months of repetitive feedings and bathings. She'd been reminded of the possibility while he'd been cleaning her, and now she couldn't stop thinking of it. Was he keeping her to put into another centipede? Why else would he care for her like that? Was he going to start kidnapping people again? What if she wasn't a match next time, what then? He'd kill her. Just like he'd killed that man, and those police officers.

But if that was what he'd been planning, why hadn't he started yet? Surely if that madman wanted to, he'd have her connected to someone else long before then. What was he planning?

She had to get out, and this was her chance, wasn't it? He was off doing something else, maybe she could sneak out the door or something. Could she get out before he noticed? She shivered harder under the covers at the thought, remembering her other escape attempts, how they had all failed. First time he'd cornered her in the pool, then shot her with a dart as she tried to drag her friend to safety. The second time, when the three of them tried it, he'd beat them. The third time, that was the day the other two had died, the day she'd been separated from them and locked away in the basement.

But the thoughts still circled her mind, the room suddenly seeming dark and oppressive. She couldn't stay there anymore. After several minutes of arguing with herself over the matter, Lindsay pulled herself from the bed and crawled towards the door. It was unlocked, and with difficulty, she made her way down the stares.


	6. Lost and Found

Lindsay winced as she finally made it past the final stair. Her knees were bruised from knocking against step after step, but it was nothing compared to the pain she'd already gone through. The missing teeth, the scars that littered her body, disfiguring her face. Heiter had done that, she reminded herself as she made her way down the hall. Heiter had hurt her, and was likely to do it again, so why was every nerve in her body crying out for her to climb back up to his bedroom? To sit and wait for him like a good little lab rat as he planned even more horror for her to endure, what was wrong with her?

She crawled toward where she remembered the front door to be, and on her way she happened to go past the dining room. There he was, sitting at the table with papers in front of him, and a plate off to the side that he occasionally ate from. Quietly, she inched past the room, and finally came upon the door.

She closed her fingers around the knob, her eyes widening as she saw how badly she was shaking. It's because she just got more exercise than she'd had in months, she told herself sternly, and forced herself to open it and go outside. It was near sundown, the air cool, the grass wet. It felt great against her battered body, as she started across the large lawn. Not even half to the surrounding forest, she felt as if someone was watching her. Panicked, she turned back toward the house and saw...nothing. Heiter wasn't there with his dart gun, waiting to punish her for her escape attempt. She let out a long breath, and continued her slow flight into the night.

Over an hour passed as she crawled through the forest, silence and darkness making her feel like a hunted mouse. Surely he'd have realized her absence by then. He was probably out there, looking for her already.

The though sent her heart racing in fear, and she tried to move all the faster, but her muscles cried out in protest. Finally she was forced to give in to the aches and pains, her body refusing to take her any further. Oh, she was so stupid, she cursed herself bitterly. After months of confinement, what could have possibly made her think she could have had the energy to to drag herself through a forest?

With the night came a bone chilling cold that she hadn't felt until she stopped her weak shuffling along the ground. She tried to move, to continue her escape, but her arms buckled under her weight. She thought of the warm house and the soft bed that Heiter had provided, and he was a dangerous psychopath so _why was she wishing she'd just waited where he'd told her to?_

* * *

><p>Heiter wandered through the forest, his hunting gun in hand, anger bubbling under the surface like an over heated pot. How dare she try to escape again, after he'd gone to the trouble of helping her get well? He growled softly to himself, trying not to start throwing around German swear words. He needed to be quiet, to hunt her down and drag her back to the house, before she got the chance to get into contact with anyone.<p>

This was the last straw, he decided bitterly. He was going to kill her for it. He'd tie her down and give her an overdose of medication, watch the life fade from her eyes as she takes her last breath. He'd bury her with the others he'd disposed of, and forget the annoying woman once and for all.

He heard something nearby, and he drew near it. There she was, curled up in a quivering ball on the ground. Scowling, he aimed the gun at her...and lowered it again.

Was she crying? Was she _insane_? She'd ran off into a forest, at night, in freezing weather, to just_ lay there_ and _cry_? She really was pathetic. Nothing to waste a dart on. "I hope those are tears of remorse." he growled darkly at her, causing the woman to yelp and struggle to turn to face him. She finally managed to get up onto her knees, the only position in which she could properly look at him. He noted the completely exhausted way she moved. Before he could say anything else, she broke down into another sobbing fit. He sighed, his anger ebbing to simple frustration. "Stupid girl." he snapped as he lay the gun against a tree and approached her.

"I-I...I'm s-s-sorry..." she just barely managed to get out, "S-so-sorry...s-sorr-y..." he ignored her and pulled his lab coat off, placing it over her trembling shoulders. She flinched at his touch, as if she'd been expecting him to hurt her. Heiter wasn't sure weather that fear was justified or not. When he was done buttoning the coat up, he grabbed the gun and strapped it to his back. It freed his arms up so he could pick up the still hysterical woman. He set off at a brisk pace, for he had to get her back to the house before hypothermia could set in.


	7. In Her Hands

The distressed woman finally managed to halt the flow of tears just before they reached his house. Now she simply lay there quietly in the bed he put her in, shivering under the thick blanket he'd covered her with. He left the room and returned with a cup of warm water, which he handed her without a word. He wasn't as angry as he had been, no, but he wasn't exactly happy with her, either. He still wanted to kill her, but that nagging feeling that had been keeping him from doing so again returned.

He hooked up another iv, and pumped some more medicine into her. With his luck, her little fit probably aggravated her still healing throat. He had no doubt that it would take even longer for her to get better now. Unless, of course, his common sense returned and he put an end to her life. But he found that situation very unlikely to happen any time soon.

Once she was settled, he turned the light off and lay down on his back next to her. He wasn't about to leave her alone after what she'd done.

Lindsay was relieved when the shaking finally stopped. The warmth of the covers was comforting, and she found herself starting to get sleepy. Even so, she kept an eye on the doctor as he hooked another drip bag up to her arm. She was uneasy for a few minutes, unsure of what exactly he was giving her. But when nothing bad happened, she assumed it was just more anti-antibiotics, or something of the like. Either way, with as angry as he looked, she wasn't going to ask him about it.

The silence stretched on between them, thick and uncomtorable. Part of her wished he'd yell, just so it wasn't so very quiet. Several minutes passed, every second serving to worsen the state of her already fragile nerves. She swallowed thickly, opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again. She really shouldn't press her luck. It was likely a miracle she was still alive, considering the look he'd given her when he'd found her. She suppressed a shutter at the thought.

Still, several more minutes passed, and finally she cracked, "H-Heiter?" she said, startled by how meek she sounded, even to herself. He didn't answer, didn't even move. She tried to read the expression on his face, but it was impossible in the dark. She hesitantly continued, "I, I'm sorry..." still no response, "Heiter, I...I'm um, I'm afraid, okay? I ran away because...because I don't want to go back in the basement and...I don't want to be put in another...another centipede." her heart pounded in her chest as she forced all this out. It was as if she were talking to the air, for all the reply she got. She looked away from him, wetness gathering in her eyes. Why should she even bother? Nothing she said was going to change anything, she was just as helpless to his wishes as she'd always been. A sob forced itself from her throat, and she bit her bottom lip hard in an attempt to muffle the sound.

"I'm not going to make another centipede." the sound of his voice broke the stillness so suddenly she flinched as if it had taken form and struck her.

"Then...what are you going to do to me?" she whispered, fearful of the answer.

"I have no answer for that question. I do not know." he sat up, his form moving to lean over her. Though she couldn't see his face properly, she focused her gaze on where she thought his eyes to be. "I do not know what to do with you, and I do not know weather or not I will kill you. But if you run from me again, I certainly will. And it will be as painful as I can possibly make it. Do you understand?"

The calm way he spoke made her even more unnerved than she already was. "Yes." she murmured. She was shaking again, and it had nothing to do with the cold.

He lay down again, this time with his back toward her.

* * *

><p>It took hours for that woman to fall asleep. He knew, because he listened to her breath the entire night. Why did he feel the need to explain anything to her? Why did he feel the need to keep her alive at all?<p>

To ask himself such questions was pointless, really. Her life had been placed in her own hands. If she tried to escape again, she would die, so it was no longer up to him.

He waited until her breathing grew even and slow as she lost herself to whatever dreams she had before he slid out from under the covers. He changed her iv bag, and left the room. He couldn't kill her, yet, at least. And so it seemed, neither of them wanted her back in the basement. After thinking about it for quite a while, he decided to draw up a new set of training lessons. Perhaps setting up some rules would make things easier for them both. It should be possible to teach her, if difficult, given her personality. He'd train her the same way he trained his dogs. If she obeyed them, he would reward her, some how. If she didn't, he would have to find a way to punish her.


	8. Meine Kleine Puppe

"Wake up. Now." a voice commanded sternly as he lightly tugged at Lindsay's hair. She flinched away, startled awake. After about a few moments of confusion, she remembered where she was, and who she was with. She looked down at the blanket, nervously fiddling with the sleeves of the lab coat she still wore. "I have decided on some new rules, which you will obey."

Lindsay nodded, not wanting to upset him after the night before. She wondered what he was going to do to her next, what hell he was going to put her through next. Before she could ask, he spoke again, "Your name is no longer Lindsay."

"What?" she asked in disbelief, "You can't be serious."

"I dislike Lindsay. I will call you something of my choosing, and you will answer to it."

"But-"

"This is not up for discussion." he cut her off, his tone cold as he leaned over her, "Either accept it, or be punished. Your choice. You are to be called Puppe."

"And what more can you do to me that you haven't already done?" she asked, her shock at what he was doing temporarily overpowering her fear.

"I could do an operation on your eyes and blind you. I could leave you in the basement to starve. I could remove all the skin from your body and keep you alive for several weeks to suffer until you die from infection. But none of these things are what I had in mind." at this he reached into a nearby drawer, and pulled out a ruler. "Every time you disobey an order, I use this. Now, what is your name?"

"Lindsay." she snapped, flinching as she did so. She knew that going along with what he said would be far easier, but she didn't want to give in, not about this. He'd taken her life, her friends, her family, her ability to walk and eat food properly, she didn't want to lose one of the few things she had left.

"No." he growled, bringing the ruler against her arm with a loud _smack_, hard enough to make her cry out, "Puppe. Say it."

"My name is Lindsay." she replied as strongly as she could, earning herself another hit of the cruel wood against the same spot he'd hit as before. She tried to cover it with her other arm, but he quickly grabbed her wrist and pinned it down.

"Your name is Puppe."

"It's Lindsay!"

_Smack!_

"Puppe."

"Lindsay!"

_Smack!_

"Puppe."

"Lindsay..."

_Smack!_

"Puppe."

"Why?" she shouted, her face now wet from tears and her arm throbbing from the pain. She sobbed quietly, weakly pulling against his vice like grip. "W-why do you have, have to do, do this to me?"

"Because, Puppe is what you are. You are now meine kleine Puppe. And you will act like it."

"Your w-what?"

"Meine kleine Puppe. My little doll. Unless you want to try and escape again? I'm sure you know what will happen if you do that, don't you, Puppe? Now, what. Is. Your. Name?" he lightly poked the forming bruise with the edge of the ruler, which brought out another sob from the poor woman. "Do you want to do this all day? Say it. Now." he dug it into her flesh, hard.

"P-Puppe." she muttered weakly. Instantly, the ruler was set aside, and he reached up to gently wipe away her tears. He caressed her cheek and ran his fingers through her hair delicately.

"What is your name?" he asked again, his voice softening slightly.

"Puppe." she whimpered brokenly, the wetness dropping from her eyes onto his hand.

"Meine kleine Puppe. Hush, you're allright. Relax." he pulled her into her arms, rocking her back and fourth as he rubbed small circles into her back. The change from harsh to soft was almost unbeleavable. The only time he ever acted like this was when he brushed her hair, and though she didn't want to admit it, she found herself clinging to him. She shivered, hating herself for giving in so easily, and hating him for forcing her into this. He was a monster. An inhuman beast. Another whimper forced it's way up her throat, and she realized that this was the third time she'd cried on his shoulder. It wasn't fair, that her only source of comfort was her tormentor.

She wasn't going to give up, she thought bitterly, though still she closed her eyes and relaxed to his touch. She was not going to give in. Her name was Lindsay, not Puppe, and she wasn't going to let him change it. She wasn't...

* * *

><p>Heiter held her like that for over half an hour, until she'd finally calmed down completely, then left to make her some broth. The first step in training her had been easier than he'd expected, and the ruler had proven most effective, yet he was certain that the battle wasn't over. It would take her time to accept Puppe, he was sure of this.<p>

He sighed and touched the dampness she'd left on his shirt. It seemed as if, when she wasn't screaming at him, she was crying her heart out. He didn't enjoy the sensations her little fits roused in the pit of his stomach, but it would be worth it if he could tame her. And unless she did something unthinkably foolish, he would indeed tame her. She was, he thought with a sense of irony, the only thing he had left, after all. Three-hund was gone, his centipede was gone... he sighed softly and set to boiling the water. She was his new...pet. For as long as she wanted to live, at least.


	9. A Honor

The two of them sat in silence as Heiter fed her. She couldn't even look at him as he spooned the warm, salty liquid into her mouth. She could feed herself, she thought mournfully. But did he ever listen to her?

Once the bowl was empty, he placed it on the table and picked up a small flashlight, "Open your mouth, Puppe." Lindsay flinched at the name. She almost corrected him, but the nearby ruler and her still throbbing arm held her tongue. She swallowed down her insults and let him examine her throat. "You've shown some improvement, Puppe. Very good. You're almost back to normal."

"Normal is when I was home with my family." she said simply.

"Then you won't ever be normal again, will you?"

"...I hate you." she whispered brokenly, the hopelessness closing in on her. She couldn't even escape on her own. She had been out there, in the forest, for hours, and her body just wasn't strong enough to get away.

He didn't answer her, and instead left the room without a word. Lindsay laid down pulled the blankets up over her head, wishing she was anywhere else.

* * *

><p>The ruler was working splendidly, Heiter thought to himself as he looked through his desk drawers. She was displeased, but didn't yell. She even seemed accepting of the name, for the moment at least. He still expected it to be a problem later on. But if she didn't make it an issue, he would avoid doing so as well.<p>

He finally found the object he searched for. A collar. Not just any collar. It was red, with silver studs placed every inch around it. It had belonged to Feure, the leader, the front piece of Three-hund. He held it and lightly ran his thumb along the slightly rough fabric. His poor, sweet Three-hund. The memory of it's death still hurt him, though he hated admitting it.

He stood and went back to his room. "Puppe." he said firmly when he noticed her laying down, "Sit up."

She obeyed. Slowly, but she obeyed. Her eyes were directed, unfocused, to the flood, and her shoulders were lowered. She was incredibly distressed, it was clear on her face. Perhaps he was being a little harsh, but she had to learn. "This," he said, "Belonged to the late Three-hund." he approached and brushed her hair out of the way, before placing the collar around her neck with a soft click. He felt her flinch at the sound, but really, she should think it an honor, considering where it had come from. "You will wear this. You will not take it off unless I tell you to. Understand?" he waited until she nodded weakly.

Time for reward. He rubbed at her shoulders soothingly, letting them trail down her back and snake up her sides. He knew she liked it, though he doubted she was ready to admit it just yet.

"Do you really hate me?" he asked, leaning in close to her ear and trailing his hand down her spine. This was important for her, something he thought would be a good thing for her to realize. "I care for you. Groom you. Feed you. I could have put you into another experiment, I could have killed you. But I didn't, did I? You wouldn't get the same care from another person. Your family would put you in a home, if they were kind. If not, they would leave you to die on the streets."

"You know nothing of my family." she snapped.

Bad girl, he pulled his hands away, "And you're sure they wouldn't? Can you say with certainty that they would, or even could, care for you as well as I can?"

"Yes." she said instantly.

"You're wrong, Puppe."

"I'm not..." she trailed off as he reached for the ruler.

"You're not what, Puppe?" he prodded her arm lightly.

"Nothing. Never mind."

He put it back on the table, "I think it's time for bed, Puppe. Lay down and sleep. You need your rest." she sighed, and he could hear the pure frustration pour from her. He watched her lay down and pull the covers up over her head, as if just looking at him angered the woman.

He got into bed next to her and slid his arm around her waist from behind, waiting for her to complain or try to move away. She did neither.


	10. Not A Dog

"Puppe, come." Heiter patted his thigh as he called the girl from across the room. She crawled over to him slowly, breathing slightly faster than normal from the exercise. When she finally made it to his feet, he rewarded her with a few pats and a light caressing of her cheek. She muttered something under her breath, which he chose to ignore. He went to the other side of the room and called her again, and once more she obeyed. "Good girl." he said encouragingly, petting her and offering water as he did so.

"Stop it!" she shoved the glass away and it shattered on the floor.

"Nein." he snapped and rapped the back of her head sharply. He wasn't as angry as he was frustrated, tired of how she fought him over everything. Though he had to admit, she was better behaved than before she got sick, but she was still far from what he expected of her.

"I said stop it! I'm tired of your bullshit." she pushed his hand away, undid the clasp of her collar and threw it away from them, "I'm not a fucking dog. I'm a human being, and my name is Lindsay."

After that little outburst, she kept her head down, avoiding his gaze it what he thought might be a submissive move, despite her actions. She knew she'd done something wrong, and she knew he'd punish her for it. He sighed softly, and she flinched. He had been waiting for something along these lines to happen, but that didn't mean he relished having to discipline her. Part of him just wanted to force the collar back on her and call it a day, but she'd never learn if he did.

* * *

><p>Lindsay's heart pounded so hard in her chest she half expected it to explode. He was pissed, she was sure of it. So what would he do to her now? The silence filled the room as she waited for him to explode. Her mouth felt like sandpaper, and almost a full minute had passed without his movement. Why hadn't he grabbed the ruler to give her another bruise? Why wasn't he yelling, screaming, why wasn't he doing <em>something?<em>

"Heiter?" she said quietly, though it sounded horribly loud in the quiet air. The calm before the storm? She glanced up at him, but couldn't hold his cold gaze.

"Bed." he growled darkly, and she whimpered at his tone. "On the bed. _Now!_" when she didn't move, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and dragged her over the broken glass. She struggled against him weakly, crying out as the razor edges cut into her legs and knees, mixing blood with the water.

She was picked up and dropped face down on the bed, his fingers curled around the back of her neck all too easily holding her down. With his free hand, he yanked her diaper down, exposing her rear to the air. She had only a moment to comprehend what he was doing before she felt him smack her, hard. Agony stabbed through her lower body and a scream tore itself from her throat. She hadn't completely realized before, but the scars he'd given her were far more sensitive than she'd thought possable for a healed wound. She bit her lip and buried her face into the blankets, trying and failing to keep silent as he hit her again.

Each time his hand made contact, it felt as if he were trying to shove blades into her. It was so much worse than what he'd done to her arm. "I'm sorry!" she finally gasped out, willing to say it if _he'd just stop hurting her._

"You're only saying it because you're being punished." he said calmly, striking her again, "And if I listen to a half hearted apology, you won't learn your lesson, and we'll be doing this again in a couple days."

Disbelief flooded through her as she took in his words. "I mean it! I'm sorry, please-" she shrieked, the pain he was causing starting to reach unbearable levels. "I, my name is Puppe, I'll answer to Puppe." she countered what she'd said only a short time ago.

He ignored her, replying only with the sound of flesh on flesh. "I'll wear the stupid collar!" she tried again. Smack! "The, the _honorabl_e collar. "I'll wear the-" smack! "Ahh! Please let me where the collar you gave me-" smack! "Out of the goodness of your heart?" smack! "Oh, please, just stop it! What do you want from me?" smack! "Fine! I'm a dog! I'm just a mangy mutt! I walk on all fours, I can't get my own food, I can't even get away from this fucking house without killing myself! Okay? Fuck, you're the reason I'm alive right now. I would have died in that forest if not for you. I would have died between two rotting bodies if not for you. Does that make you happy, knowing that? Are you fucking pleased now...?"

The room fell quiet again. She noticed how wet her face and the blanked had become, and cursed herself for crying because of him yet again. He pulled her into a sitting position, and she bit back a yelp as the blanket brushed against her sore behind. He removed her diaper, as it was wet from earlier use, and this made the glass dig into her bleeding legs. She kept her eyes adverted from him as he grabbed his medical kit and wordlessly set to work on tending to her fresh wounds.

Once her legs had been wrapped and a fresh diaper put on her, Heiter picked up the collar from the floor and approached. Lindsay couldn't help but flinch when he brushed her hair out of the way, but the man was surprisingly gentle as he put it back on. Instead of pulling away, his hands lingered on her neck, and they traced a light trail all the way up to cup her moist cheeks. He simply held them there, and she took it as a hint he wanted her to look at him.

"You aren't a dog, Puppe." he said as soon as she hesitantly met his gaze. She suddenly realized how incredibly close his face was to hers, close enough to feel his breath when he spoke. It made her cheeks heat up under his fingers, even as her stomach began to turn sickeningly. "I said you are a doll. Meine Puppe. Not a dog."

He was too close. Far,_ far_ too close. But she was helplessly frozen in place, like a rabbit trapped by the icy glare of a cobra. Was he going to...?

And then he pulled away. He just turned around and left the room. Her face suddenly felt very cold, and something painful stirred in her chest. Why didn't he...? Oh, she was sick. She was _sick._ Bile rose in her throat as she furiously wiped the tears away with the blanket. There was no fucking way in hell that she'd ever want him to...to... no, she shoved that thought as far into the back of her mind as she could manage.

Trying to keep her thoughts away from that disturbing place, she tried to focus on something, anything else. That watery mess she'd made on the floor. Heit- _no don't think about it,_ that man had left it there, and it really did make the room look filthy. Not to mention if her blood was left too long it could stain.

* * *

><p>Heiter lingered just outside the barley open door, and watched her carefully through a crack, ready to stop her if she made any attempt to harm herself. The last time something of his had gotten a hold of glass, it had ended badly, and he didn't want it to be repeated. She crawled off the bed, over to the pink puddle, and set to throwing the broken shards into the trash bin. She even mopped the water up, with a few clean diapers, as there were no towels in the room.<p>

He quietly closed the door and walked away, his thoughts drifting off to the strange moment he'd spent with his pet. He'd thought momentarily of kissing her, but decided against it. She hadn't done anything worth getting such a reward, and besides her breath was horrible. Though it was his own fault, he supposed, as what teeth she had left hadn't been brushed since before she'd been in the centipede. He planned to go to the store within a few days, perhaps a toothbrush should be added to the list?


	11. Basement

Heiter sighed softly, slightly frustrated with himself. He'd planned to wait a few days for a trip to the store, but it seemed he could not. He'd gone through his inventory, and found that he was down to a single bag of diapers, a few scraps of meat, some beef broth cubes and a small bag of carrots. He'd been so focused on the woman, he'd failed to notice how low he was getting on things. And if he had to go out, he might as well get everything dealt with while he did so. He needed to get more antibiotics, as his little pet had been given most of what he had. He also needed various other medical supplies, bandages, and rubbing alcohol. His errands would take him all over town, and the sooner he started, the better. It was almost noon, and he doubted he'd be back again before nightfall.

This did bring up a problem, however. He could not take Puppe with him, and he could not leave her alone in the house. Despite his threats, she might be foolish enough to try and escape again, and he really didn't want to go looking for her again. So the only thing he could do, was put her down in the basement until he got back. It was the safest option, really. He didn't wish to be forced to take her life.

So he made a few last minute changes to the list, and made his way back up the stairs. He found her sitting with her back to the bed, arms folded across her chest. As he entered, she looked up at him, "I couldn't get back up. It's too high off the ground."

"Then you shouldn't have gotten off of it." he informed her. Though she'd done well to pick up after herself, that didn't give her the right to complain. He pulled off his white coat and tossed it into a corner, not wanting it on the blanket, as it was stained with blood from their earlier disagreement.

"I cleaned it up." the way she said it reminded him of a half drowned kitten. He noted how her arms tightened around herself when he simply tilted his head slightly in reply. After a moment, he picked her up, and started out the door.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, growing tense in his arms. Was she going to be difficult about this? Had her punishment not been severe enough?

"The basement." he said, putting force into his voice, attempting to keep her from whatever argument she had.

"But why?"

"It is necessary."

"But-"

"You are going down there." this time he growled the words. She instantly silenced herself, but her body was still rigid. He didn't want to sound so harsh, but he had a lot of work to do, and he didn't have the time to fight with her again. Especially over something so childish. Really, she was throwing a fit over a single day downstairs?

Once they'd reached their destination, he sat her in the chair and tied the ropes around her arms and legs, binding her so she couldn't move. "I'm really very sorry." she said suddenly, "I mean it, Heiter. Please, I'm so sorry. I won't take the collar off again. Please..."

Why was she apologizing again? "You've been punished for your actions. You don't need to repeat yourself." he informed her as he moved away. The sooner he left, the sooner he could get back. "Leb wohl, Puppe." he said , and started up the stares.

"Heiter, wait!" she called after him, but he ignored her.

* * *

><p>Lindsay watched the man walk away, leaving her there alone. The door closed, sounding ominous to her ears. "Get back in here!" she yelled, pulling against the restraining ropes, but the knots were just as unmoving as they'd been the first time he'd tied her down. "Damn it." she whispered, giving up on pulling her arms free.<p>

Okay, she thought, trying to keep calm. He's pissed. He put her in there because he was pissed. It was...it was because she'd mouthed off, right? He'd be back, she assured herself. It was a part of his punishment. He'd spanked her, so this was time out. He'd be back in a few minutes, and she'd be back in the bedroom where it wasn't so cold and dark. She just had to be patent.

So she waited. She'd waited for what she thought might have been an hour, and the more time that passed, the more she couldn't help but think that maybe it wasn't a time out. Maybe she was back in the basement permanency. The thought made her heart quicken slightly. Though his company was more than a little stressful on her, she couldn't help but admit that it was better than sitting down there, alone. _Fuck_, she'd finally done it, hadn't she? Upset him enough that he didn't want her around anymore. She'd said sorry, which is what she'd thought he'd wanted, but still he put her back in the stupid chair.

"Heiter!" she yelled, but her only answer was the doom and gloom of her surroundings. She hadn't made another escape attempt, so likely he wasn't going to leave her to starve. So, she'd just have to... she had to convince him to let her back upstairs. But how? She'd picked up the glass, and she'd apologized in every way she could think of. She would offer to cook or clean for him, but she couldn't even walk. So how could she get on his good side again?

She thought of how he'd touched her face before. How he'd been so very close to her mouth, making her think that he might have wanted to...to...to kiss her. She shuttered at the thought, that sick turning in her stomach rearing it's head again. Maybe...maybe he'd like it if she...? No, no way, the idea was simply repulsive...

About another hour went by, the lack of either windows or an actual clock distorting the passage of time. Fine, a kiss wouldn't be so bad, if it got her out of there. A kiss was a walk in the park. And she was told she was good at it, though at the time she had all her teeth.

But it wouldn't stop at a simple kiss, would it? She didn't know how long it'd been since Heiter had...well, 'gotten any.' For all she knew, he might have never been touched at all, though truthfully he didn't strike her as a virgin. But, when they'd first met, he hadn't struck her as an insane doctor, either. Was she really thinking this? Was being in the bedroom worth actually doing 'activitys' with Heiter?

...Yes.

Because, the more she thought about it, she'd do anything not to go back to the hell of being completely alone every day.

So she waited some more, trying to think of what to say, what to do, when he got back. The last thing she wanted to do was upset him again. He wanted obedience, right? So, she shouldn't yell at him again. She could do that. If he let her out of the basement, she'd try to behave. And she'd do...things, for him. It'd be easy, she could pretend she was making love to one of her ex's...eww, _no._ They were all jerks. What she'd seen in them she'd never know.

She lay her head against the back of the chair and closed her eyes, shivering as she tried to imagine what he would be like. Would he be rough? Soft? Something in between? She couldn't tell, judging from the way he'd treated her thus far. He'd been harsh to her, as much as he'd been gentle. Again, her stomach twisted.

How long had he been gone? She'd have guessed almost five hours. Where was he? He normally didn't leave her alone that long unless it was night time.

_Where was he?_

* * *

><p>Heiter put the last of the things he'd bought away. He was tired, and all he wanted to do was get Puppe into bed and sleep. He'd gotten some things for her. Most of which he hid away in his closet, to be given once she deserved them. He took the plastic bag which held the things he intended to give her that night with him as he started downstairs.<p>

He half expected to hear her scream obscenities at him, as she had done before, when he kept her down there on a regular bases. But she sat there quietly, watching him as he put the bag down on the floor and approached.

"Heiter." she spoke softly as he set to untieing her bindings, "You were gone a while." she looked down and he hear her swallow thickly.

"Yes." her point was? He could leave whenever he wanted. The ropes fell to the floor, her body free from the chair.

"Wait!" she grabbed his hand when he went to get her the bag, "I, I mean...I...I..." her voice wavered, and tears dripped down her face as a light sob came from her throat. What had gotten into her?

"Puppe?" he reached out and wiped her face, hoping to get her out of it. This seemed different that the many other times she'd cried before. He hadn't actively caused it.

"I...I mean, I know you probably don't care anymore, but I...I didn't mean to make you that angry. And I...I can be useful to you."

She wanted to make use of herself? "And how do you intend to do that?"

"Well, I...I can..." she took a shaky breath, and pulled his hand up to her face. He watched, becoming more confused by the moment, as she brushed her mouth over his knuckles, "I've had...experience. I know I'm not much of a...of a looker, now. But I could still..." she turned his hand palm upward and lightly traced her fingertips over the vein in his wrist. "I could still make you feel nice. I know what I'm doing. Just let me back upstairs. _Please_, let me back upstairs. I could use my mouth or, if you want you could-"

"Puppe." he interrupted and pulled his hand out from hers. She flinched, but still leaned forward to reach for his belt. He intercepted and pinned her against the back of the chair, locking his gaze with hers. "Puppe, it's okay. Sexual favors are not necessary to be back in the bedroom." even to his own ears the words sounded rushed. He was simply in shock, as being propositioned by his pet was the last thing he'd expected to happen.

"But, then what do I-?"

"I only went to the store, Puppe. I've no plans on keeping you down here again."

"Oh." her face grew red, and she broke eye contact.

* * *

><p>Lindsay looked away from the man, embarrassed beyond belief. He'd only gone to the store, and she'd gone into full blown panic. Really, how could she have been so stupid, offering herself before fully understanding what was going on? And that bothered her. Why in the world had she jumped to sex so quickly? Could it be that she...no, it was just the stress. She was stressed, because he hadn't even bothered to inform her of what was going on. It was his fault. The fucking bastard, he probably enjoyed humiliating her. He was laughing at her in his head.<p>

He finally moved away from her, and that pain returned in her chest. It hurt. Having him reject her hurt. Why...?

"I bought you something, Puppe." she looked back up at him as he returned to her with a bag, "To care for your mouth." he pulled out a tooth brush and some tooth paste. "And a reward for cleaning up after yourself." he handed her a thin, rectangular object wrapped in dark plastic, covered in German writing. She held it a moment, clueless as to what it was. "It's chocolate." he added after a moment.

"Chocolate?" she whispered in disbelief, pressure building behind her eyes again. She reached up and rubbed them, clearing the liquid before it could fall. "T-thank you." she choked out, not wanting him to misunderstand her reaction.

He put the dental supplies into the bag, and picked her up. She couldn't describe the relief she felt when he took her to his room and sat her on the bed. While he was in the bathroom, she lightly ran her fingers over the edges of the package. He'd gotten it for her, as a 'reward.' She couldn't decide how she felt about that. He was an asshole for leaving her down there all day, but_ it had been so long since she'd had chocolate._

She slowly opened it, and sniffed the dark, surgery substance. It was the best thing to ever enter her sinuses. She broke off a small piece, hesitant to put it in her mouth. It might be one of those joke candies that tasted like dog crap or something. Why would he actually buy her something she liked? She licked the tiny bit, and was instantly proved wrong. It was really chocolate. No tricks.

"Do you need a new diaper?" she jumped, not having realized he'd come back.

"Yes." she said, laying the bar next to her and leaning back slightly so it was easier for him. "I can...brush my teeth?" she asked uncertainty.

"I put them next to the bathtub so you could get to them. Be quick about it."

Once he was finished, she did just that. She took the chocolate with her, not really wanting to risk losing it. The minty flavor tasted just as good, and she used water from the tub faucet to rinse. Her mouth was clean for the first time in months.

She crawled into the bedroom and found Heiter waiting for her. He picked her up, placed her on the bed, and she immediately snuggled under the covers, thankful for the warmth they provided. He turned the light out. She placed the bar on the bedside table and curled into a ball, ready to try and sleep.

But she couldn't. Her mind kept returning to what she'd done before. Why had she been so willing to offer herself to him? And why, why did it hurt when he rejected her? It couldn't be that she might...no. No it was impossible. He'd stuck her in a centipede. He'd kept her prisoner. He'd disfigured her so badly no one would ever want to go near her again... ever.

That thought hurt, too. But it was true. No teeth, inability to walk, face riddled with scars. No one, not a single person, was likely to give her a second glance, even if she somehow managed to get away. Heiter had successfully made her disgusting to look at, not to mention made her incapable of taking care of a house or a family. She'd never be touched again. Except, perhaps, by him. But she didn't want him to touch her, didn't want him near her. She didn't...

"Are you awake?" she asked quietly. His back was to her, so she couldn't quite tell. He didn't answer, and she assumed he wasn't. Slowly, she inched closer until she was right next to him, and she place her hand on his side. His ribs shifted under her fingers in time with his breath, and she finally started to relax a little. She was just stressed, she reminded herself. This didn't mean anything. She just...wanted to be close to another person for a while. Tomorrow, everything would be back to normal, and she could forget that day ever happened. Secure in that thought, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Yay! Longest chapter yet! 2664 words! All you can eat centipede shaped cookies for everyone! Thank you everyone for your reviews. Special thanks once again to Ravyn Skye for her ideas.<em>**

**_Thank you all for reading, and hope you liked this chapter._**


	12. A Simple Conversation

Heiter lay next to the woman, lightly running his fingers through her hair. He'd awoke only a few minutes before, her body pressed against his back. Since then, he'd been quietly trying to wake her, using the same method as he had shortly after they'd first met. Strange, how before, it had taken only a few strokes of her hair to get her attention, but now it seemed she required more. He leaned in close and nuzzled her head, frowning at the horrible smell. She needed another bath. Still, she didn't move.

He couldn't help going over her actions in his mind, thinking of how she'd offered favors just to get in the bed. Perhaps the basement was a bit cruel of a place to put her. Though it was mostly her fault for overreacting so. Either way, after spending the previous day away from her, he thought that today, it might be pleasant to spend some time with his pet.

He brushed his mouth over her temple and down over he cheek as he ran his hand down her arm. A soft noise came from her, and he pulled away in time to see her eyes flutter open. "It's morning, meine kleine Puppe. Up." he nudged her toward the edge of the bed, and she moaned sleepily as she crawled away to slide onto the floor.

* * *

><p>Lindsay winced as she hit the floor slightly harder than she'd intended to, her legs throbbing at the pain caused from her cuts from the day before. "Go brush your teeth, Puppe." Heiter instructed as he stood. She put a hand over her mouth to hide a yawn and moved to do so.<p>

When she came back, she found the man had stripped the bed and was putting a new set of sheets on it. "I stained the other ones, didn't I?" she asked, suddenly remembering how she'd bled all over the other coverers.

"Yes. They'll have to be thrown out, so I bought a new set yesterday." he informed her. "Go to the kitchen. Wait for me."

She sighed, not quite awake yet, and the thought of crawling down that flight of stairs was daunting. Still, things seemed easier when she just did what she was told, and she really didn't want to get punished again so soon after sleep. So she wordlessly left the room and started going down step by step, relieved when she finally reached the bottom.

It wasn't long before Heiter walked into the kitchen, dressed in fresh cloths and wearing his white coat. He had a briefcase with him, which he placed on the chair he normally sat in. He helped her up onto the chair opposite, and then opened the pantry door. She watched him carefully, wondering just what he was up to. Her confusion grew when he poured a bowl of cereal and sat it the middle of the table. "What are you doing?" she finally asked.

"Giving you a lesson." he answered, dragging his chair over so he could sit next to her. "If you do well, you may have what's in the bowl."

Solid food? After over a week of nothing but broth? She was up for it. Besides, if she refused, he'd just hurt her again. "What am I learning?" he didn't reply, he just opened the case, took some pictures out and lay them in front of her. "Siamese twins?" she asked.

"Yes. Now, this set is called Thoracopagus." he indicated a picture that reminded her of the large poster in his living room, "Joined at the upper chest, from the clavicle to the sternum, and sharing a heart. Separation is impossible. This set is called Craniopagus, joined at the head. Separation is possible, but damage to the brain is common. And this set is called Cephalopagus, joined at the chest and head. They never survive." she shivered, the images disturbing to her. But she bit back her negative comments, and simply listened.

Ischiopagus, joined at the pelvis, sharing digestive and reproductive organs. Separation is possible, though excretion and sexual functions can be impaired.

Pyopagus, joined at the rear of the pelvis. Rare, but survival rate is good.

Parasitic, additional limbs or heads connected to the infant, believed to be caused by the death of one twin in the womb.

Rachipagus, joined at the spine, rare, separation is impossible.

All this was making her head spin. Not to mention nauseating, as some of his pictures were rather graphic. Particularly the ones in which some of the twins were being separated.

And when he was done, he quizzed her. "The name of this one?"

"Is-chi..opagus?" she stumbled over the word.

"No, Pyopagus. Can they be separated?"

"Yes."

"Correct, what set is this?"

"Parasitic."

On it went, for the better part of an hour. Finally he put the photos away, "You didn't do well, but you didn't do badly, either. Half the bowl, I think." half the cereal was emptied into the box, and the rest was sat in front of her. Heiter sat back down and watched her expectantly. She thanked him, knowing that was probably what he wanted. When he didn't move, she picked up a piece and ate it. She was careful to chew only with her molars, having already learned months before how painful it was when something crunchy dug into her gums. It was sweet, a wonderful change from the salty broth.

She sighed softly, suddenly feeling mildly depressed again. She was likely never going to taste American food again, right?

"Heiter? Can I save this for later? Please." she added the 'please' as an afterthought, hoping it would make him more likely to comply.

"Yes." he said slowly, staring at her. She squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze, "What are you thinking?"

Was that a trick question? Would he punish her if he didn't like the answer? "I'm going to miss my mother's cooking." she said, chancing the truth.

"And what did she cook?"

"Lots of things. Herbal chicken. Pepper lemon fish. She's into health food. My favorite of hers is spaghetti with meatless meatballs."

"What was she like?"

"Why are you asking?" she snapped, "Why would you care? Sorry." she covered her mouth, lowering her gaze. "I didn't mean that. Please don't get angry..." she waited a moment, then glanced back up at him. He didn't seem mad.

"I only wish to talk, Puppe."

He was trying to have a simple conversation? Really? Seriously? He used her in his insane experament, he stuck her in his basement, he drove her to offering her body _only to turn her down_, and now he wanted to just...talk?

She gave in, "My mother...she's nice. Strict, but she loves me. She's probably heartbroken that I disappeared on my vacation. I'm the only one of her kids that still talks to her. I remember, when I was little, I lost my first tooth. It hurt, and I got angry at it. So I threw it across the room. She went crazy looking for it, and she almost threw a party when she found it."

"Hmm. Wait here, I'll be back." he stood and left. Once he was gone, Lindsay put her head in her hands.

It was going to be a_ long_ day, wasn't it?


	13. Allergies

Heiter placed the framed photo in front of her and sat down, studying her expression as she gazed at it. "This is my mother." he said, and saw disbelief, then shock, pass through her eyes. The woman in the picture was short, slightly overweight but not unpleasantly so, and she wore glasses that made her eyes look bigger than what they really were.

"You must get your looks from your father?" she finally asked.

"I would not know. I've no idea what he looks like." he admitted. He saw something odd flash through her eyes, something he couldn't identify, "But mother was...decent. She raised me. Kept me fed until I was old enough to leave home. We didn't talk much after that. She wanted me to work in her butcher shop. I wanted to be a doctor. When I chose the later she lost interest in me."

"Oh...that, um, sucks." she replied distantly. He frowned. This was proving slightly more difficult than he'd thought it would be. It was the first time he'd tried to actually talk to his pet. All their previous interactions had involved him caring for her, punishing her, experimenting on her or tending to her throat.

"What about your father?" he asked.

"He was nice. They were a great pair, he and mother. Until they got divorced. The last time I saw him was my two month stay in his house when I was seventeen."

"Ah. That must have been difficult."

"Yeah." she said, and the sound of the ticking clock filled the room again.

* * *

><p>Lindsay wasn't quite sure which was worse, being punished or discussing their parents with him. She rested her head on her arms, idly gazing around the room. Well, she had to admit, it was kind of nice being down there. And she even had solid food, though it might be a while before she could actually stomach it. And all she had to do was act semi decent.<p>

Well, why not? She was so, so tired of fighting. Tired of the abuse. Tired of everything. If she could get him to treat her better simply by 'behaving', then perhaps she should. She'd already promised herself she wouldn't mouth off at him again, after the scare he gave her, so how hard would it be to play nicely? For a few days, at least.

It wasn't giving up, she assured herself. She'd find other ways to fight somehow. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Did she really want to do this? What did she have to lose? "So, are you a, ah, only child?"

"I have an older brother and two younger sisters. They are all only half siblings. Only my sisters share the same father."

"Do you get along?"

"No. Do you have siblings, Puppe?"

"No. But I grew up with...Jenny. We were practically sisters. I...I miss her." she sighed again, her eyes lowering to the table once more. After a moment, he scooted his chair a little closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Why are you being so...friendly?" for serious lack of a better word.

"You're my doll. I need no reason."

At this she had to bite her words. She wanted to tell him she wasn't a doll, she was a human being and she wanted away from him. She...she needed some fresh air. Forcing herself not to snap at him, she asked in as level a tone as she could, "Can we go outside, please?"

She waited for him to say no, but he didn't. To her complete suprise, he actually picked her up and started for the door. "...thank you." she said, trying to keep both the shock and the lingering anger out of her voice.

"Just stay where I can see you." he warned, and put her down on his porch. She was all too eager to crawl away from him, out onto the warm grass and lay on her back. The sun Warmed her chilled body quickly, bathing parts of her skin she normally had covered. The soft, green blades tickled her bare back in a good way. For a moment, she let herself forget where she was.

She felt him lay next to her, and she wondered why he risked staining that stupid coat of his. A sudden question came to her, and it came out before she could stop herself, "Heiter? What if I had allergies?"

"...Explain."

She lay her arm over her eyes, as the bright light was starting to give her a headache, "If my mouth was..._occupied_ before, after you...what if I had allergies, and couldn't breath through my nose? I'd have suffocated."

"Ah. If you couldn't breath, I would have cut a hole in your throat and placed a tube in it."

"And...when I...had to...to eat?"

"I"d assume you'd be smart enough to swallow the fecal matter rather than inhale it, Puppe."

She gagged a little at the memory, and discussed, she rolled over so her back was to him. She heard him make a soft sound, and she could have sworn it was a restrained laugh.


	14. Warm

Lindsay shivered, the sudden absence of bandages on her legs as well as the icy touch of the toilet seat under her bare rear reminded her of the cool temperature of the room. Her arms pressed in close to her stomach as Heiter stood from his kneeling position to turn on the water. The collar was on the counter, as to not get wet, so even her neck felt chilly.

After he'd made her nearly vomit with the imagery in the yard, they'd simply...well, talked for a while. She'd avoided dangerous topics, though, choosing instead to discuss favorite foods, books and movies. Of course, due to their completely different backgrounds, they shared almost nothing in common, save for a shared enjoyment of fruit. Though it was strange, thinking of the man who'd ruined her sitting out on his porch, doing something as innocent as biting into an apple.

"Does my hair get washed soon?" she asked, reaching up to touch the greasy mess. She shuttered, disgusted at the texture.

"Your throat is better, so yes. I don't think the infection is going to return any time soon." she watched him slip his hand into the water, testing it before plugging the drain.

A moment later she was being lowered into the tub, the heat chasing the cold from her skin. She winced as it burned her partially healed cuts, but it wasn't long before the wounds became numb to the point where she could just barely feel it.

"Wet your hair." Heiter ordered as he pulled out a bottle of shampoo. She couldn't tell what kind it was, due to the writing being in German, but it was colored light blue. She wondered if it was 'ocean breeze', or 'powder fresh', or any of the other scents she'd come to associate with that color. She sighed and did as told, wiping her eyes as she sat back up. Without a word, the man began to massage the liquid into her hair. It smelled sweet, almost like vanilla, but not quite.

This is something no one else would do. she reminded herself mournfully as she leaned into his probing fingers. She could almost feel the grime dripping down her back with the white suds. It wasn't long before he had her lay back to rinse it out, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. It felt wonderful, feeling clean again.

As he began to wash her with the rag, she took the opportunity to watch him as he worked. His expression remained neutral, weather he was scrubbing her arm or her chest. He'd rejected her offer before, so he really wasn't interested, was he?

Of course not. Who would? But, but he touched her, where no one else would. Why?

_Because he's sick and twisted. Because he's insane. Because he's the one who did this in the first place._

She sighed as he moved lower, to her stomach, and turned her head away to stare at the wall. This really didn't bother as much as it used to, his hand on her unclothe form. She supposed she was just getting used to it. Being bathed by this man for months on end was becoming normal to her. The knowledge was rather...disturbing. Could she really-?

"Are you alright, Puppe?" his question, though spoken softly, made her jump.

"Y-yeah. Fine." she murmured her gaze shifting down to the water and his moving hand. He didn't seem to like the answer, because he dropped the rag and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"You don't look fine." he stated flatly.

Lindsay shook her head as much as she could with him holding her head, "I'm fine, really. I'm just..."

"Just what, Puppe?"

She pulled away, and surprisingly enough, he let her go, "I'm just...lonely, I guess. It doesn't matter."

Once it was out, she regretted saying it. She was just giving him more he could use against her. He already had a frightening amount of power over her, so why was she giving him more? Were her words truer than she thought? Was she so lonely as to seek companionship in someone like him? No, she...

His hand was on her chin again, and pulled her head up again. She felt a soft pressure on her cheek, his mouth pressed against her face for a moment. She gasped, her heart beginning to beat harder in her chest. They looked at each other, though she quickly lost track of exactly how long. His eyes were a lovely shade of blue, she noted distantly. They were light and shimmery, and if she hadn't known the horrors he'd commented, she wouldn't have been able to guess he was capable of them.

And then he closed the distance between the two of them, his soft, moist lips meeting her cracked ones. Her breath halted in her throat, though by this time her heart was racing so hard she was sure he could feel it through her skin.

He pulled away from her, breaking the eye contact, "I think you're clean enough. You should go back to the room and rest."

He reached for the drain, but she grabbed his wrist, "Wait, I..." she swallowed thickly, "I, can't we, stay here, for a while, H-Heiter?" she winced at how shaky her voice sounded, but didn't let go. She was sure he'd refuse, and really, it'd be better if he did. But at the same time, it would hurt if he did, wouldn't it?

It seemed like forever before he responded, moving his arm away from the plug. Instead, he wrapped it around her waist and pulled her toward him, her upper body cradled to his chest, wetting his clothes. The side of the tub dug uncomfortably into her side, but she really didn't mind at the moment. She closed her eyes and held onto his coat, his heat somehow more comfortable than the water.

He began to run his fingers up and down her arm in a gentle motion, leaving a light tingle behind. They stayed like that, simply holding each other for a while.


	15. Blood

_**Note: I will be moving this story's rating up to M shortly. I was going to put up the warning last chapter, then change it when I posted this one, but I forgot. So just please be aware that this will no longer be in the default search anymore. Thank you. ^^**_

Lindsay shifted carefully under the covers. Heiter's warm back pressed to hers, and though she couldn't say it was an unpleasant feeling, she was uncomfortable. She inched her way to the edge of the bed and pulled the blanket off, the cool air actually pleasant on her skin for once. She paused to listen to his breathing, make sure he was asleep. When she was sure it wouldn't wake him, she rolled over onto her back and flexed all the muscles in her body. A few of her joints popped pleasantly, and she sighed at the sensation.

She relaxed, her body tingling nicely. Except her legs. She couldn't stretch them, though she tried. If she put too much pressure on the ruined ligaments, it hurt her.

She closed her eyes again and waited, but sleep wouldn't come. Normally, when this happened, she'd read a book until she was ready for bed. But that wasn't exactly an option, was it?

She gazed over at the man next to her, absentmindedly studying the rhythm of his breath. He'd kissed her. And she hadn't fought him. She told herself that she'd just wanted to avoid anymore punishment, but she couldn't help but notice how she hadn't come up with a reason to let him until after she'd done so. If she wanted to be brutally honest with herself, he wouldn't have done it is she hadn't admitted to feeling lonely. It was her fault. He'd rejected her offer, so there were no ill thoughts on his part, she was sure.

She pushed the disturbing thoughts away and closed her eyes. Penny once told her that if you actively try to sleep, it'll only keep you awake. So she tried to let her mind wander, drift away so that she could get the rest she needed to survive another day.

She thought of her parents, her old friends. Of her old cat she had when she was little. It had been a stray, a ragged, dirty thing that had given her fleas. It hadn't lived that long, but she'd like to think it's last few weeks had been a little better with her.

She thought of what her family might be doing.

She thought of her first days in Germany, how fun they'd been.

She thought of how it had all gone downhill.

She thought of her first boyfriend, and wondered if Heiter could be just as-

She pushed that line of thinking away, reminding herself that it was _wrong_ to think of her kidnapper that way. Besides, he had no interest in her, right?

Then why did he kiss her?

Lindsay, growing frustrated by the fact that she wasn't asleep yet(and thus thinking about this again and again), rolled over again, onto her side. As she did, she felt a distinctly...wet sensation between her legs. She frowned, and thought perhaps she'd gotten a bit warmer under the blankets than she'd thought she had. But the rest of her was dry, so why then...?

Wait. _Crap._

No, no no no. This was not good. What was she-

_Relax._ she told herself sternly, _You don't know what it is. You're just really hot. That's it._

But she couldn't be sure of that. So quietly, she inched out of the bed onto the floor, wincing at the thunk of her knees hitting the hardwood. Heiter didn't move, and she breathed in relief. She crawled toward the bathroom, gently nudging the door close behind her.

Getting the light on took a moment, the switch barley within her reach. The brightness blinded her for a moment, forcing the woman to wait for her eyes to adjust. When they finally did, she focused her attention on the diaper. Or rather, what lay underneath. She hoped it wasn't what she thought it might be. It'd been quite a while since she'd...it'd been before the operation, when things were still normal. What would Heiter do is she...?

She swallowed thickly, and her hand slipped between the cotton and skin. Her fingertips trembled as they brushed the dampness of her inner thighs, and slowly withdrew again.

As she had feared, her fingers came out stained with crimson. "Fuck." she said under her breath as she grabbed some toilet paper to wipe them with. So now what was she supposed to do? She couldn't go back to bed like this. The diaper certainly wasn't meant to absorb blood.

Her first thoughts were how to keep this from Heiter. She could stuff some toilet paper between her legs, but they had poor absorption, and he'd find out anyway upon changing her. She considered looking around for tampons, but there was little chance of him having them, right? Until he'd gotten his 'pet,' she assumed he lived alone. And men that live alone don't usually buy that kind of thing. At least, no men she ever knew.

As much as she didn't want him to find out, reality assured her that he would, one way or the other. And like all her other bodily functions, he would have to find a way to deal with it. But she didn't want to wake him up. And she didn't want to wait until the next day, either. She'd just managed to get rid of one rash, she really, really didn't want another. She sighed, noting the irony in that even though she knew he'd find out, it still didn't ease her indecision. What should she do?

She shook her head and began to pull more toilet paper from the roll, using it to wipe herself clean. She couldn't wake him up. She remembered when she'd been joined with the other two, and their screaming had pulled him from his sleep each night. They'd done it on purpose to aggravate him, and each time they'd been met with threats of having their vocal cords removed. Though she didn't think he'd really do it(he'd have done it a long time ago) she still didn't want to anger him.

When she was dry enough, she opened the door and went back to the bedroom. Of course, now that she'd gotten off the bed, she couldn't get back on. She sighed, frustrated. What was only a few feet might have well become a mile for her, for all she could do.

Trapped on the floor for the night, she was at least able to get her pillow. Trying to ignore how unpleasant the cold suddenly was, she closed her eyes and once more attempted to sleep.

* * *

><p>Heiter opened his eyes to find himself alone in the bed. Puppe wasn't that hard to find, however, as all it took was a quick glance around the room to see she was asleep on the floor. He leaned over the edge of the bed, watching her breath in the faint light coming through the closed blinds. Why in the world would she be down there? She couldn't have had to use the bathroom, that's what the diaper was for. Besides, obviously, she couldn't even get up high enough to use it. Did she have trouble sleeping, and get off so as to not wake him moving too much? No, Puppe wouldn't be that considerate, he thought.<p>

Deciding just to let her sleep for the moment, he went to the kitchen to make some food for the both of them. After eating eggs and bacon himself, he brought her a bowl of hot soup. He placed it on the side table, next to her bar of chocolate, and knelt next to her. He began to very lightly run his fingers through her hair, watching as she began to stir from the movement. He kept going, feeling the soft locks flow over his skin. She made a low, whiny noise, like a child that didn't want to wake up for school.

Finally, she looked at him, her eyes glazed over from sleep. Satisfied she was awake enough not to be startled, he slipped his arms under her knees and back, picking her up to set on the bed. He didn't miss the way she winced, not in pain, but as if disgusted. "Puppe?" he questioned, "Why did you sleep on the floor?"

The effect was instant. She lowered her gaze, focusing instead on his midsection. Her face reddened, too, the white scars standing out further than they already did. She wrung her hands together, and it was almost a half minute before she murmured a timid, "No reason."

"Puppe." he said firmly, giving her a disapproving look. She should know better by now.

"I..." she sighed, and continued, as if she were forcing herself to say it. "I'm...on my period, okay?"

He frowned, "Period?" she...was on a dot at the end of a sentence? His response flustered the girl, her body becoming noticeably more tense and uneasy.

"Yeah. You know..._Aunt Flow's come to visit?_" he just stared at her, "Ah, the curse? My...fuck, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" she folded her arms over her chest, holding herself tightly. She must have been extremely upset for her to swear at him again, after not having done so since the other day.

She still wasn't looking at him, so he put his hand under her chin and forced her head up, "I'm not doing anything. You are being vague."

She pulled away, and he let her. With a huff of breath, she muttered something he didn't understand.

"Puppe. I couldn't hear you."

"...Menstruating. I'm _menstruatin_g, Heiter."

He felt a flare of annoyance, "Why didn't you simply say so?"

She glanced up at him, then looked back down, "It's embarrassing."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, 'why?' You, you're a guy, you don't do this..."

"I'm a_ doctor_, Puppe. You _do_ realize I have a basic understanding of the human anatomy? You're body is simply doing it's natural cleansing, to prepare the uterus for-"

"That's not the point!" she squeaked out, not quite yelling yet. She shoved half-heartedly at his chest, "I haven't done this in months! Why now?"

He grabbed her wrists and held them firmly, not unkindly, in his hands, "You're getting healthier, Puppe. The stress is easing, and you're almost fully recovered from the surgery. It is a good thing."

This seemed to catch her attention. She finally met his eyes willingly, "Why...is it a good thing? I'm just a doll, remember? I don't matter."

"I never said you didn't matter." he said, letting go and standing up. He started for the bathroom...

"Hey, where are you going?"

"You don't want to sit in a bloody diaper all day, do you?"

Her face, amazingly so, grew a darker shade of red, "No..."

"Very well then."

It took only moments to get the box out of one of the upper cabinets. He also grabbed a couple paper towels, to clean her up with. And a fresh diaper. He returned and asked her to lay back. Which, of course, she decided to be difficult in doing.

"I can do it myself." she said, her arms still wrapped around herself.

"Can you?" he asked calmly, with only a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I didn't ask if you could. I said, lay down. _Now_."

She looked like she was going to continue to argue the point, so he pushed her back himself. As she couldn't use her legs to brace herself against him, her feeble resistance was short lived. Finally she just glared up at him, "Fine." and turned her head to the side, dismissing him. Really, it was childish...but not worth punishing her over. She hadn't insulted him, or broken anything, or attempted escape. And she wasn't fighting that hard.

He pulled the cotton off her and tossed it in the bin, frowning at how much blood had gathered. Obviously, it was going to be heavy, because she hadn't had one in such a long time. Setting to work, he wiped away the red liquid. He noticed the way she held herself, the way her body shook slightly. It was clear she didn't like this. Had she never used a tampon before? Quite a few women used pads, after all, "Relax, Puppe. It won't hurt."

She made an odd sound, something he couldn't quite decide the emotion behind. He carefully slid the plastic into her and pushed the plunger down, then pulled it back out. It took only a few seconds. He tossed it away as well, and slid a fresh diaper on her, "You may sit up now." After a moment of hesitation, she did, and he saw that she was biting her lip. Quite hard. "Stop before you hurt yourself. The soup has salt in it."

She did, and he grabbed the bowl and sat next to her, preparing to feed her. The entire ten minutes it took, she refused to look at him.

She was a strange girl, his Puppe.


	16. Questions

Lindsay stared blankly at the grey mass in her hands, her mind unable to completely accept what she was holding. Distantly, she noted several things about it. It was thick, soft, almost fluffy. It was well made, unlikely to wear out anytime soon. It was rather baggy, a much larger size than what she would normally have picked out. There were no buttons, no lose strings, no zippers. Just...a normal, casual, every day sweatshirt.

"It is something for you to wear, Puppe. You do remember how to put it on, yes?"

"Yes I remember! ...but why?"

"Because I wanted to. And you've been behaving, so you should get rewarded."

"Um...okay." she said slowly as she looked up at him. Was he joking? Was he playing some sort of cruel trick? She hadn't worn actual clothes in so long. Well, she'd had his lab coat on a couple times, but that didn't quite count. When he didn't take the shirt from her, she took the plunge and hesitantly started to put it on.

As good as it felt in her hands, it felt so much better covering her body. For once, the cool air was prevented from touching her. Even without the warmth it provided, it just felt comforting to feel it against her skin.

As she'd thought, it was oversized. She had to roll up the sleeves to keep her hands free, and if she could stand it would have likely reached the tops of her knees. She smiled softly, as much as she could without teeth, and buried her face into her wrists, loving the softness.

"Good Puppe." he said, and proceeded to kneel in front of her. She shifted uncomfortably as he began to unwrap her legs. She winced as she felt the was of cotton shift within her, a reminder of what had happened earlier that day. She didn't look forward to him having to change it.

"Your cuts are healing well. They no longer need to be kept bandaged." he stood again and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her from the bed.

"Where are we going?" she asked, suspicious of his...not being a jerk-ness.

"You shall see." he replied as he carried her out of the room.

She found herself on the sofa, and experienced a small wave of nostalgia as she looked behind her at the big painting of the siamese twins mounted behind her. It seemed so long ago she first walked through that door, and watched her life unravel before her.

Heiter left, returning only moments later with the hairbrush in his hand. He leaned over the back of the sofa and began to run it through her hair. Lindsay closed her eyes and leaned her head back a little, wondering exactly what he was up to. Normally he saved this for bath time.

When all the knots were out, and her hair had been brushed neatly behind her ears, he left the room again. When he came back, he had a camera.

"Pictures?" she asked in disbelief. All of that, because he wanted her to...to look...nice, for pictures?

"Yes, meine Puppe." he said, his tone unusually light. He took position at a couple feet away, the device raised up to his face. The flash blinded her for a moment, making her rub at her eyes.

"Why would you want pictures of me?" she protested weakly. She was ugly, scarred, deformed. She didn't want it saved for everyone to gawk at years from then.

"You're asking too many questions." he said sharply, "Now smile."

Smile? She didn't have any teeth. The woman sighed in surrender, and pulled her lips back, feeling the air rush in between her gums. She was disgusting, wasn't she? That was why Heiter didn't accept her offer. Even he was repulsed by her, despite the fact he was the bastard that did it.

But the kiss...

Why did she have to keep thinking about that? Couldn't she just forget it ever happened?

Again the camera went off, "Good girl." he praised, and sidestepped to get her at another angle.

After what must have been the longest ten minutes of her life, the film finally ran out. She let out a breath of relief as he put it away. After all that, her vision was filled with colorful spots that flared whenever she blinked. "Okay," she said, hopping he didn't pull out a fresh roll, "You have a bunch of pics to remember me and my nice new sweater by." would he take it away now that he'd finished? "So ah, what should we do now? Maybe we could go outside again?"

"No, I want to stay in here." he said, sitting down next to her. Without warning, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, holding her upper body to his chest.

"What are you-?" she yelped, surprised by the sudden contact. It took quite a bit of willpower not to try and push him away. He'd get mad and punish her again, she reminded herself firmly. "What are you doing?" she repeated in a calmer tone.

"You said you were lonely." he answered, his voice dipping a few octaves lower, "I do not wish for you to feel that way again, meine kleine Puppe." she sighed, frustrated. Just because she'd been lonely in that moment didn't mean she wanted him to- "Would you rather I didn't Puppe?"

"No." she said, perhaps a bit too quickly. Hadn't she just been thinking she didn't?...whatever. She closed her eyes and relaxed in his arms. She was fine with this, for a while at least. She let her mind drift as he began to run his fingers through her hair, and silently listed all the things she didn't know about him. With him acting the way he was, or perhaps because of the hormones rising inside her now she was menstruating again, she felt a little...braver. "Heiter?" she started, picking a random question from her mental list, "When we first met, you said you didn't like humans. Why don't you?"

She felt him tense slightly, and almost apologized for fear of upsetting him, but he answered before she could, "That is not something I wish to talk about right now."

"Oh...okay." she said, relived when he relaxed again. Okay, maybe pick another question? "Where did you get the idea to...to do, what you did." she hadn't asked before, afraid that it might make him want to do it again. She was still afraid he would, but not as much as before. He seemed intent into forming her into some sort of pet, or doll, which as horrid as it seemed...was better than having her face attached to someone's ass.

"How I decided to craft a human centipede?" he said, thankfully not stiffening up again, "It is a long story. I suppose I could shorten it..." he sighed, growing silent for a moment, then started, "It stemmed from my disdain of human beings, I believe. I do not know when it started, but I do not view siamese twins as human. They are better, more advanced. But still I separated them, and I began to regret it. I noticed how, sometimes, after they were separated, they would press themselves together, trying to reconnect. I began to form a surgery to bring them back together, the ones I split into to, but I had no intention of following through with it. Until I did an operation on an older pair. Helen and Cecile."

She suppressed a shiver, already thinking that this man shouldn't have been allowed near children. Also, it struck Lindsay as odd that he would bother to remember their names.

"They were three when I separated them, and when she awoke, Helen was frantic. She screamed, and sobbed, and called out for her sister. I'd already wished I didn't do these operations because I preferred them in their original state, but she showed me that they did as well. I quit, and I wanted to reconnect every single sibling once more."

"You wanted to _what?_" she gasped, pulling away from him. He didn't fight her on the matter, and simply met her shocked gaze with his own calm one.

"It had never been done before. I wanted to be sure it would work, before I used it on them, so precious they are. So I tried on my dogs first. Three-hund was born, but it didn't last young. I'd made a foolish mistake, and they paid for it. I couldn't live with myself if I killed any of the twins, so I needed to experiment on a creature that didn't matter as much if parts of it died. Then I went out to find tourists. And I failed. Not only did I fail, the creature I made came apart in more agony than my Three-hund did. The front slit his throat, and because you three were being difficult, the end died of blood poisoning, instead of simply being put to sleep."

That last part struck the woman hard. Hard enough that she lowered her gaze, unable to take how angry his had gotten. She began to fiddle with the sleeves of her sweater, a nervous habit she didn't think she could still have after so long without clothing. She felt him stand, and after a moment looked up to see him with his back to her.

"That really upset you." she said quietly, realizing that Penny's death, or rather the way she died, had somehow hurt the surgeon as well.

"More than you can know." he answered briskly. "Do you still wish to ask questions?"

"Not right now." she replied in a small voice.

"Good. Come, we need to change your tampon. It's been almost four hours."

"Okay." she said, unable to put up any kind of fight as he picked her up. Maybe she shouldn't have asked him anything after all...


	17. Why

**AN: Big thanks to Ravyn Skye whom gave me the idea for this chapter. Thank you so very much. You're the reason this story had gone as far as it has.**

**And thank you to everyone who's stayed with this story, even though I tend to take forever between chapters. Thank you for your kind reviews, and even just for reading it at all. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

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><p>Lindsay leaned back ion the toilet seat, trying to think about anything else, like how strange the shower head looked. Was it one of those ones that had different settings? Mist, massage, stream? All the while she ignored the sensation of Heiter changing her tampon. It didn't take that long, less than a minute, but it sent heat rushing to her face all the same.<p>

She sighed after he pulled away, crossing her arms over her chest as again self consciousnesses ran through her mind. She knew she was just torturing herself more each time she thought about it, but she could't help it. She used to be the popular one in school, and this hurt. It was vain, perhaps shallow, but that's how she felt. When she was younger, she used to make fun of the 'unattractive' girls. Now the thought of what she'd said in the past made her feel slightly nauseous.

She shook her head, trying to dispel these thoughts. Regret wasn't going to change anything.

"Are you alright?" he said, obviously noticing something was wrong.

"I'm fine." she snapped, not quite meaning to. She looked away and played with the sleeve of her sweater, feeling like some sulky teenager. Surprisingly, he didn't say anything about it. He just went to the trash can to throw the plastic tube away. "Heiter?" she said, carefully lowering her voice.

"Yes?"

"Can we maybe get a uh, a bed pan in here. So I don't always have to use use a diaper? It'd be cheaper." she hugged herself, her eyes moving to the floor. It would also prevent her from having to be changed every few hours like a baby.

"We will see." he answered, and proceeded to pick her up and carry her into the bedroom. He sat her on the bed and then took up the space next to her. He didn't seem upset anymore, which was a good thing. However, she wished she'd kept her mouth shut the other day. Maybe he wouldn't be pulling this crap now.

"Stop it." she said, trying to shrug him off. He ignored her, and tightened his grip. The past few days taught her to calm down and just let him do what he wants in this situation, but she felt so angry...

She shoved him away from her and scooted the other way so she was as far away from him as she could get without falling off the bed. "Don't touch me! I don't need your pity."

He seemed to consider her for a moment, and again she looked away, preferring to stare at the floor instead of him.

"Pity, Puppe?" he finally questioned.

She shook her head, her mind screaming at her to just shut up. "Nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing. Tell me why you would think I would pity you."

"Asshole, isn't it obvious?" she winced, realizing she'd just sworn at him after promising herself she wouldn't do so again, "Why else would you do all these things you do? I'm just a freaking animal to you. A dog to obey your every command. You make me wear this stupid thing, say it's a fucking honor. Why? Am I less than your precious Three-hund? To wear it's collar is a step up for me? Huh?" she was yelling. She shouldn't be yelling at him.

"We discussed this already. You aren't a dog." he replied calmly.

"Oh, right, a dog wouldn't fuss so much." she muttered darkly.

"Puppe, I don't understand what is wrong."

She bit her lip, trying, really trying not to blow up. He seemed to understand this, because he hadn't yanked her over his knee again. Or was he waiting for her to finish so he could punish her all at once?

"You," she began, speaking slowly, "Are only touching me because I said I felt lonely."

"...you're upset because of that?"

"Yes! You aren't doing it because you want to. You're doing it because I had a nervous breakdown. You only kissed me, because I was cracking under the stress of the things you put me through."

"I do not do things I do not wish to do." he said.

"Bullshit. Why would you want to come anywhere near me? Look at me."

"I don't see how your appearance has anything to-"

"Heiter! Look. At. Me. I have scars on my face, on my ass, on my legs. My teeth were ripped out, I can't walk. Even you, you of all people didn't want to fuck me."

Ah, too far. She fell silent and covered her mouth, pressure building behind her eyes. Heiter didn't say anything, and without his words to fuel her anger, it began to dissolve into despair and regret again. He was going to hurt for her for that. He was so going to hurt her.

It seemed to take quite a while for the man to move, to do anything. When he moved closer to her, a cold shutter of fear went through her, which only made her cry harder. She wanted to go home, why couldn't she go home? "I want my mom." she whimpered weakly as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. Softly, he ran his fingers through her hair and over her back while she cried on his shoulder yet again. His face nuzzled into her hair as he inhaled the sent of his own shampoo.

"Puppe." he said quietly, just loud enough for her to hear, "You are saying that you find yourself repulsive." she didn't respond. He sighed, and his voice was tinged with frustration, "You must learn to tell me these things." nothing. "Why didn't you?"

"Would you even-fucking care?" she countered, hiccuping in the middle of her sentence.

The next thing she knew she was on her back, and Heiter was hovering over her. She turned her head away from his, frightened, angry, sad, she couldn't quite decide which emotion was the strongest. Of course he grabbed her chin and pulled her back, forcing her to look into those too blue eyes of his. "You're my little doll." he answered, "And I do not find you as sickening as you seem to see yourself."

"Yeah, right..." she tried to look away again, but he held her firmly. She gave up and just lay there, waiting for him to continue.

When she didn't attempt to turn her head, he let go and moved his fingers lower to touch the dog collar around her neck, "If I found you repulsive, would I have given you this? Would I be taking care of you? Would I take pictures of you?"

"You're crazy if you don't find this," she motioned to her face, "Ugly."

He frowned, seemed to take a moment to consider what to say next. Finally, he responded, "You're being more cruel to yourself than I ever have."

Again, silence stretched between them while his words sunk in. She hesitated, wanting to ask but knowing she shouldn't. He was expecting her to say something, that much she knew. Finally, she voiced the question she'd been asking herself almost constantly since that day in the basement, "Why did you say no when I offered myself to you?"

"You were offering so you could receive things from me that you thought I rescinded. You are neither a whore nor a prostitute. You are meine kleine Puppe."

He was close to her again, far too close. She could feel his breath on her lips, his words brushing her skin when he spoke. Liquid oozed out from the corners of her eyes, as the confusion that had been plaguing her for the past several days seemed to grow in intensity. Without completely thinking about what she was doing, she reached up and pressed a hand to the back of his head, and pulled him down to her.

He seemed shocked at first, his muscles freezing for a moment as she moved her mouth against his. Within a few seconds, he melted, and returned the kiss, his tongue slipping forward to meet hers. It was soft and slow, but it made her entire body tingle, and it stole the air away from her lungs. Her heart began to beat faster in her chest, and felt the room spin slightly as the heat from his hand melted into her stomach as he slipped it under her sweater. As much as she wanted him away from her just moments before, that was how much she needed as much of her body pressed to his as possible.

When he insisted on pulling away so that they both could breath, she opened her eyes to look into his again. Funny, she didn't remember closing them. "I think there's something wrong with me." she told him breathlessly.

He reached up to cup her cheek, caressing it softly with her thumb, "There is." he said, "I should have thought about it before, but I didn't realize it was going to affect your behavior this much." he pulled away to sit up, and pulled her with him. She scooted closer, clinging to his coat, the needy feeling not leaving her just yet. "I'll have to pick up some midol at the store the next time I go."

Her face burned at the reminder that she was on her period, and that he had to deal with it for her. She didn't think she'd ever get used to it, no matter how many tampons he changed for her.

"Tell me the next time you feel that way." he said, and she could have swore she heard that irritation again, "Tell me whenever you decide to punish yourself for something, and I will let you know if it is necessary or not."

She nodded once in recognition, and that seemed to satisfy him. He stood, and stepped away, turning so he could look down at her properly. "It's almost time to fix another meal. Do you wish to accompany me?"

Again, Lindsay nodded, and let him pick her up and carry her out of the room.


	18. Thoughts

Heiter sat the woman at the kitchen table and set to heating her up a can of soup. Of course, he really should go back to feeding her other things. He'd been feeding her various soft foods before she'd gotten sick, and had only switched to this because of how much easier it had been on her throat.

When it was done, he poured it into a bowl and set it in front of her. He grabbed a spoon and began to feed her, the motions becoming automatic as he thought to himself.

How long had she been having such negative thoughts about herself? He'd never expected to hear that she though of herself as...what was that word she'd used? Ugly. She wasn't ugly. She wasn't even unattractive.

Of course, she did appear to be under the influence of the hormones her body was currently giving off. It was why he didn't punish her for yelling earlier. But, hormones couldn't be the only reason, she'd had to have had the idea in her head long before she voiced it. And this bothered him.

She was beautiful, almost like his twins and his Three-hund, though in a different way. She was his doll, his Puppe, no one elses'. He hadn't really thought about it, not until she'd said something. He hoped his insisting that she wasn't repulsive had gotten through to her, at least.

Part of him wanted to go a step further. 'Your appearance is far from sickening. You are beautiful, more so than before.' But he couldn't. Not just yet. She had to earn such things. The sweater and the little caresses he gave her, those were her rewards for her good behavior. He could not further reward her until she'd shown him she could continue to be good. He refused to spoil her. He wasn't going to let another pet of his fail because of his own foolishness. If he wasn't careful, she might go back to acting the way she'd been before.

He exhaled deeply, frustrated with this situation. He was angry, more at himself than at her. Once more, he hadn't noticed a creature under his care needed something. He lost his Three-hund because he'd forgotten to check the dogs blood type, and hadn't even noticed the infection until it was too late. He'd lost his centipede because he hadn't thought to tie it down so it couldn't try to escape.

He...if he was going to be perfectly honest with himself, he didn't want to be alone again. He would do what he could not to lose her as well.

He pushed the now empty bowl away and wrapped his arms around her, holding her from behind while he pressed his face to her hair and breathed in. She leaned backwards, accepting of the contact, and he couldn't help but remember what had only recently happened.

She'd kissed him. She'd been the one to initiate it. She'd shown distress at having him 'refuse' her. Had that been when this all started, that day in the basement? Did she really want him to have sex with her? He'd said no because she wasn't his whore. He didn't keep her around just so he could mate with her whenever the urge struck him. She seemed upset because he didn't put her at that level. Perhaps she simply wanted sex, and he was the only one available to her. But she hated him, didn't she?

Why was she so confusing?

In any case, he didn't believe she'd enjoy him if they did try. He'd never lay like that with a woman. He'd pleasured himself quite a few times, but never another person. In theory, he knew what to touch, what to poke and prod, yet practice was far from theory. If she desired physical release, she'd be better off doing it herself.

Should he get her a vibrator? It would be easy enough for him to buy one.

Her hand touched his, the soft flesh of her fingers lightly squeezing his slightly rougher ones. "My stomach hurts." she said quietly, and he heard an almost mournful tone in her voice. Again, he told himself that the next time he was out he would most defiantly get her some Midol. The only reason he didn't do so right away was because he didn't think he trusted her mental state enough to leave her alone for too long. He didn't want to be faced with a crying, whimpering mess so soon after he'd dealt with the last one.

"I'll get you some pain medication." he told her, mentally deciding which one to give her. He chose codeine. It might be a little strong for what she was suffering from, but it should help. Also, there was a high chance it would make her sleep, which could improve her morality.

He left and brought back the single white pill. He filled a glass with orange juice, and handed both to her. Puppe took the medication without complaint, and then drank the entire glass down. He put it in the sink, filled it with water, and took her up to his room to rest.

Once she was laying down under the covers, he made to leave, intending to get something to eat himself.

"Heiter?"

The doctor paused and looked back at her, meeting her gaze. "Please don't go." there was an odd tremble in her words now, as if she were actually fearful of him not being in the room with her. He sighed and walked back to the bed, getting under the blankets with her. He moved closer to the woman, right up against her back, and wrapped an arm around her. "Thank you..." she whispered.

He said nothing in response, only pulled her a little closer to himself, his hand slipping under her sweater to rub against her stomach. This should help, until the narcotic got into her system. Once she was asleep, he'd go back down stares and get his own dinner lunch fixed. Until then, he was content to simply hold her, and try to figure out his next move.


	19. Side Effects

Lindsay opened her eyes, her head spinning slightly as she took in the rather bright room around her. Why was everything so bright? Why, why couldn't something big have come between the earth and the sun, so it'd be dark? Or...or what if the sun was no longer there? What if they were just...floating? In space? She heard a soft, wavering sound, and only after she noticed the way her stomach was contracting did she notice she was giggling.

Maybe the Earth could be pulled away, far from it's own universe. With stars and planets whizzing by, so fast everything was a blur. Would there be flashes and colors that had never been seen by the human eye. Wouldn't that be fun? And suddenly, aliens! Oh, but she didn't want a probe shove up her ass...

"Puppe?" she hadn't noticed there was someone else with her. Startled, she rolled over, away from the voice. With a thunk she landed on the floor, though it didn't hurt at all. She pulled herself up to her knees and leaned over on the bed, looking up into the man's face. Another, more uncontrolled fit of laughter hit her at the expression she saw. It was like she'd just spouted a third head, or something.

"H-h-h-hi! He-Heiter..." she managed between breaths, her arms wrapping around her ribcage as she became slightly more lightheaded, "You're funny." she murmured weakly once she managed to stop. She pressed her face into the blanket and inhaled. It smelled so nice. And, it felt wonderful against her skin. So did her sweater...rubbing it felt good...

"Puppe? Are you well?" she felt his hand on her shoulder, and looked up to find he'd moved closer. The smile faded from her face, and she felt an odd twist in her stomach as she met his gaze. They were so deep blue, liquid and mesmerizing.

She reached up and brushed his cheek, "You have such beautiful eyes." he grabbed onto her hand, and she looked down at his fingers wrapped firmly around hers. Warm. so warm. She leaned forward and nuzzled her cheek into the back of his wrist. She moaned lightly, and then a question came to her, "What was in that pill?"

"It was just codeine." he answered, "It was supposed to make you sleep."

The way he said it brought about another laughing fit, prompting her to press her face back into the bed to quiet it. Then she looked up, craning her neck and stretching her back to try and get up close to his face. He inched back a little, an odd look on his face, and she grinned, "That stuff," she said quietly, as if it were some big secret, "Never makes me tired."

With that she pulled away and fell backwards onto the floor. After a moment, she found that rather uncomfortable, so she rolled over onto her stomach. Still unsatisfied, she tried to stretch her legs out. Of course, she was met with resistance, the ligaments in her knee unable to extend. Frustrated, she grunted and rolled over again, sitting back up. By this time she was near the foot of the bed. "I'm bored." she complained, and sat up on her knees again, "I'm gonna go...do something."

Without waiting for him to give an answer, she started toward the door as quickly as she could manage. Within moments, she was pulled up into the air. "Hey! Unfair. Cheater!" she squirmed, protesting as she was sat back onto the bed. She huffed and folded her arms, glaring at him, "Kill joy."

"You may not crawl around the house unsupervised." he stated, frowning at her.

"Then come with me!" she whined, scooting over to the edge to grab onto his coat. She leaned forward, forcing him to take on most of her weight, to the point that if he stepped back she'd fall headfirst to the floor again. "Come on! We can go take a walk through the forest. I haven't seen it during the day, you know. Been here how long?" she gasped, "Unless there's a reason we can't go? Are there werewolves in the woods?" she pressed her face into his chest and inhaled, "You smell good..."

He put both hands on her shoulders and bushed her back into a more stable position. "Puppe, you need to go back to sleep."

"But I'm not tired."

"You need rest."

"But I'm not tired."

"You need to let the medication work out of your system."

She grinned, "But I'm not tired."

"Are you going to answer me the same way no matter what I say?"

"Maaaybe." she giggled and fell sideways, "Come on Heiter. Why don't we watch TV?"

"It is in German."

"You can translate for me."

"I doubt I could do so quickly enough."

"Aww..." Lindsay pulled herself back up so she could look into his eyes again, "Then let's do something you wanna do."

"I want you to sleep."

"Can't make me."

He cocked an eyebrow at her, "Can't I?"

"Nein." she knew she'd failed at pronouncing it correctly, but didn't care. She folded her arms over her chest in challenge, daring him to make her.

He put his hands on her again and pushed her backwards, pinning her. She squirmed under him, but he quickly grabbed onto her wrists to keep her still. She snickered at him, "This is meant to make me sleep, Heity? I think not."

"If I keep you like this it will." he insisted, making no comment on the nickname.

"Really. Strong man on top of me and it's supposed to make me sleep. Me thinks it'll only make me more awake. Get off me!" she wriggled dramatically under him, "You're too hot! It burns! I can't stand it! He's blinding me! With hotness!"

When she stopped long enough to see his reaction, she was brought into yet another laughing fit. It was just too priceless. "'He blinded me with hotness?'" he repeated, and the way he said it only made it worse.

When almost a full minute passed and she didn't calm down, he growled, apparently annoyed beyond all reason, and pulled away. "Fine. Stay in here until you calm down. I will go down stares and try to salvage my sanity." he started for the door. She squeaked, the laughter dying down instantly, and crawled after him. She was forced to stop at the very end of the bed.

"Hey!" she called, "Don't leave. Please? I don't wanna be alone. I have chocolate?"

He paused at the doorway to look back at her, "You would give up the only candy you're likely to have in quite a while so I won't leave you in here for a few short hours."

She nodded, and her heart beat a little faster as she watched the expression on his face. Dismissive at first, then more conflicted. Finally, she saw his features soften slightly, and gave him the biggest smile she could manage. "Thank you thank you thank you!" she chanted as he walked back over to sit next to her. She hurried over to the desk next to the bed and grabbed the bar, taking it over to him. She handed it over, and he accepted it, staring blankly at the thing in his grasp. "Go on," she pressed, nudging him, "Try some."

He sighed and opened it, took a teeny, tiny piece and handed the rest back to her. "That's not enough to feed a canary." she noted in amazement.

"I don't like sweets too much." he replied, even as he put it in his mouth. She shrugged and focused on her own chocolate. She paused, then broke off a good chunk and ate it, swirling the quickly melting substance around with her tongue.

"This," she said after she swallowed, holding it up into the air with both hands like in the Lion King, "Is the best thing I've ever eaten. EVER!"

"Puppe?" she placed it neatly into her lap, and grinned over at him.

"Yess, Heity?"

"You are never taking codeine again."

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><p><em><strong>AN: The sad thing is, Codeine does the exact same thing to me. Whenever I have to take it, all the doctors tell me to take it at night because it puts you to sleep. It doesn't put me to sleep, it wakes me up so I'm completely aware that the room is morphing sickeningly around me, and then messes with my brain so I think it's funny. *sighs*<strong>_


	20. Shy

Heiter should have never given her that drug. He'd already known it was a bit much for the cramps she was suffering from, but he'd thought she'd sleep through it. Most of the patents he'd given it to fell asleep after about twenty minutes. It'd been two hours and she was still bouncing around the place. At the very least, she wasn't her normal, moody self. She was just so talkative. And not upset. He wasn't used to such behavior, and this was making him fairly uncomfortable.

"What's your favorite color?" she asked brightly as she leaned into him, a smile on her face as their eyes met.

"I don't have one." he answered flatly, "Are you sure you don't want to sleep yet?"

"Stop asking that. I'm not even tired, Heity." she...nuzzled his arm, her arms wrapped around the limb as she buried her face into it.

She was so affectionate. Why was she so affectionate? Codeine did not make people feel things they did not already feel. It wasn't like some of the other drugs out there that made you see things and hear voices. This was a glance into her head, into who she was, the inner self most people would hide from the world. This was how she would act if she didn't consciously keep herself from acting in this way. She was not yelling at him, something he'd thought she'd stopped doing only because she did not want to be punished again. She was not trying to escape, she was not a sobbing mess.

She was cuddling him.

She began to shift, and he could only watch her curiously as she, with difficulty, rolled onto her back, and rested her head on his lap. Unintentionally, he was sure, she caused the fabric of his pants to rub up against him. "What's your favorite time of the day?"

"I have no preference." he replied, and nudged her head away from him, toward his knees. She whined, protesting the movement, grabbed his hand to stop him, and defiantly put her head back where it had been. He let out a light, hissing breath, "I would rather you get off of me, Puppe."

She giggled, "Aww, little Heity is shy."

"I am not shy." he said, "I would just prefer- stop it."

She'd turned her head to one side and tried to press her face into him through his cloths. When she showed no sign of listening, he scooted over to the side and let her head fall back onto the bed where it belonged. She seemed even more amused than before, "If you aren't shy why are you moving away from me?"

"Because you are under the influence of a narcotic, and you are acting irrationally."

"So? Haven't you ever had fun, Heity?"

He didn't answer, though he did move away from the bed, away from where she now sat at the edge, staring at him with that toothless smile of hers. He leaned with his back to the wall, watching her thoughtfully. She was getting increasingly flirtatious with him. Before, she'd acted like his refusal to take her body in return for personal gain was hurtful to her. She'd been getting increasingly disdained of her own appearance.

"Puppe. How old are you?"

"Twenty four."

Ah. She was that much younger than he was? He'd known she was younger but...

More importantly, this shed some light on her recent behavior. She was looking for a sexual outlet, and finding none. He'd been considering getting her a vibrator, but at the time he'd been thinking of it as a reward. This...this was making him think that she actively needed a way to satisfy her urges.

Something that was as important as food, for example. She needed something, and he was failing to give it to her, and thus she was suffering for it. Again, he had failed. His Three-hund had needed him. His Centipede had needed him. Both had come apart because of his ignorance.

He was not going to let it happen a third time. He would get her what she needed tomorrow.

He had no idea where to buy the things.

"Are you a virgin?"

She grinned, "Are you?"

"Just answer the question."

"Pushy. No. Collage. Drinking. Hot jocks. You know how it is." she laughed, "I do have a bit of skill though. Just putting it out there. I could-Hey, where are you going?"

He ignored her protest and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him. He didn't need to hear any more of her nonsense. She was not going to sell her body to him, and she was not going give it in some drug induced haze.

He swallowed, hard enough to hear it, as he became aware of a warmth in his stomach. Maybe, instead of getting her a device, he could...no. No, he couldn't. This was not something he could give her himself.

Shaking it off, he locked her in his room and started down stares. If he was going to get her a vibrator, he was going to need to find a store. The internet was a good place to start. He wouldn't buy one online, though it was tempting, and it would save him a trip. If he was going to be getting it for his Puppe, he'd rather be able to look at it first, hold it and examine it, make sure it was safe for her.

Was there anything she could do to damage herself with one of those things?

He'd just have to watch her, then...


	21. Buzz

When Heiter returned, he'd found his Puppe sound asleep. He'd only been gone for about an hour, so the drug had still been in her system, leading him to believe the lack of mental stimulation was what made her calm enough for the Codeine to do what he'd wanted it to do in the first place. She slept rather peacefully, considering the hyperactive state she'd been in, leaving him free to lay down next to her and get some much needed rest himself.

As he'd expected, she'd been very quiet when he'd taken her back down into the basement the following morning. She didn't speak except a simple, murmured 'okay' when he assured her that he was just going out for a while, and there was no need for her to panic over being left alone. Part of him wanted to let her stay in the bedroom, but no, not while he wasn't there. She could hurt herself, or worse. Knowing her, she'd attempt an escape out of one of the windows and break something.

The adult store he'd chosen to buy from wasn't too far away by car.

Stepping in, he was greeted with a cheerful ding and a smiling woman. Waving her off with a motion of his hand, he began to look through the various items they had in stalk. There were movies, books, lubrications that turned hot or cold... After some consideration, he grabbed one of the ones that warmed. Puppe seemed to very much heat, so perhaps this would make a good reward later, he thought.

Moving on, he examined a large shelf filled with dildos(as stated on the colorful sign above them that looked too childish to be something found in a sex store) of different shapes and sizes. Some thicker, some longer, some, as he was slightly disturbed to see, that were far bigger than what the human body would be able to allow without injury. Several of them were molded after animal phallus', bringing him a slight amusement when he saw one resembling that of a dog. Part of him was tempted to get that for her as well, if only to see her reaction when she lay eyes on it. However, she'd already expressed disdain of being considered a dog, even though all he'd done was put a collar on her. He highly doubted she'd be happy in the slightest if he offered that to her, even as a joke. Not that anyone ever seemed to share his sense of humor.

Moving on, he found several other items, things to be inserted into the anus, restraints, chastity belts, pink fluffy cuffs. After several moments of search, he found what he was looking for. A simple vibrator.

Taking it and the lubrication to the register, he waited for the woman to wring them up. For only being two items, she managed to discuss the weather, her girlfriend, and offer to sell him several other products before she even scanned a single thing. There was even an annoying accent that told him German most certainly wasn't her first language, nor her strongest, judging from the way she stumbled over simple words. He waited impatiently, more than happy to part with the entirety of the bill in his hand if it meant not having to listen to her a moment longer. Finally, his purchases were bagged and the change handed back to him. She wished him a good day as she offered the receipt, grinning like a teenager.

"Thank you." he responded in English, quickly adding, "I wish you a pleasant day as well. Nicht, dass du bist alt genug, um hier zu arbeiten. No offense, but Du Sie erscheinen erfordern Saugen an deiner Mutter Brust, kleines dchen."

His shifting from one language to the other had the desired effect, it took her a moment to mentally translate what he'd said. He picked up the bags, casually observing the way her eyes widened when she finally realized what he'd said. She stuttered a few times, noticeably upset but unable to say anything, least she risk losing her job. Without another word, he left, satisfied that he'd taken that foolish smile off her face.

* * *

><p>Lindsay was mortified. What was wrong with her? A little medication and she was all over the man, telling him about the things she'd done in collage, asking him about his own sex life? After everything he'd done to her, to her and to Jenny! He'd mutilated and humiliated them, killed her best friend, kept her locked away as his 'little Puppe', and here she was practically throwing herself at him.<p>

It was his fault. Who the hell gives someone Codeine for cramps? Isn't that just a little bit overkill? She would have been fine with a little aspirin or something! Fuck, she'd have just dealt with the pain if she'd known he'd go all psycho doctor on her and give her something that most people don't have unless they've had surgery. Oops, here's a paper cut, time to bring out the morphine!

Frustrated, she strained against the straps holding her arms down. It wasn't like she could go anywhere, why did she have to be stuck down in the basement while he was gone? He'd already proven she was physically incapable of reaching the main road on her own, no matter how much time she had. Besides, she'd just gotten over being sick, why couldn't she be up where it was actually warm?

At least she had the sweater now, instead of sitting there bare as she'd had to do for months. Even so, that was little comfort. She hated this room with every fiber of her being, just as much as she fucking hated him.

She shook her head in aggravation when some hair fell over her face, a motion that only succeeded in causing more to slide out of place. Giving in, she let her head lean against the back of the wheel chair. The last time he'd gone off, she'd been left for the entire day. How many hours was she expected to wait this time?

He wouldn't be offered favors again, he could be sure of that. Again, she felt that odd pang at thinking that, and felt her anger slowly vanish, a heavy weight pressing in on her chest. He'd rejected her again, because she was being 'irrational.' He was just coming up with excuses now, wasn't he? Saying she wasn't ugly but then refusing her each time she offered. And yet, wasn't that a good thing? It's not like she'd prefer being his sex doll. That would just make all this even more unbearable than it already was.

The door at the top of the staircase opened, "Heiter?" she asked, as if it could be anyone else. It was only seconds before he came into view. Again, she felt a rush of embarrassment, and she found herself unable to look at him as he began to unstrap her.

"Are you alright, Puppe?"

"Y-yes."

Silence followed, broken only by the rustling of cloth as she was picked up. Sighing, she leaned her head against his shoulder, grateful for his body heat, and also for the opportunity to get into a position in which he couldn't see her very well. Though her body was cool, her face burned. Nothing more was said as she was carried up through the house and sat down on the bed. After he pulled away, she wrapped her arms around herself, eyes fixated on the ground. She felt him move around to the other end of the room, and finally he spoke again.

"I brought you something."

Oh, what did she do to deserve this? It couldn't be another chocolate bar, he'd already said she wouldn't get more for awhile. Another sweater? Something else he can dress her up in? An excuse to take more pictures of her?

He stood in front of her, the white of his coat taking up most of her vision. His hand lowered itself into view, and she had to stare at it for several seconds before she could convince herself it really was what she thought it was. Two objects, the device itself and it's remote, both were a light grey. German words painted on the remote in a darker shade on one side, under a set of matching buttons. A vibrating egg.

She recoiled, leaning her weight back on the bed, as if he were offering her a live serpent, "What, why would you...this has to be a joke, right?"

"I do not joke, Puppe." he placed it on her lap, and she cringed at the smooth, rubbery feeling. Carefully, remembering what happened the last time she'd thrown something on the floor, she picked it up and placed it beside her on the bed. She was looking at him now, and indeed he wore a very serious expression.

As calmly as she could, she asked again, "Why would you get me a...?"

"Because you need it."

"I need it? Why would I need something like that?"

"Have you not used a vibrator before, Puppe? It's to stimulate-"

"I know what's it's for! Why would I need to do that?"

"You are twenty four years old. Humans at your age experience a high sexual drive, which if left unfulfilled can lead to behavioral problems. Loss of sleep, mood swings, low moral. That, coupled with the positive effects the hormones released during orgasm can bring, makes this a matter of you needing it, as opposed to the vibrator being a privilege."

Dumbstruck, Lindsay didn't say anything, prompting Heiter to continue, "I recommend you use it once every couple of days, stating now. It's already been cleaned and sanitized, you don't have to worry about contamination." he picked up the egg and placed it again on her lap, though he kept the remote, "This button activates the machine, the one on the left decreases speed, and the one on the right increases it."

She was finally forced into picking it up when he began pressing the buttons in question, showing her how to operate it and causing it to buzz against her thigh. "W-wait, I'm not doing this now."

"The way you have been acting the last several days suggests that the sooner you start-"

"I'm on my period!"

"You are wearing a tampon."

"But...but I... not with you right there..."

"I will supervise to insure you don't injure yourself with the device."

"How can I possibly injure myself with it?"

"You could try to swallow it and get it caught in your throat."

"Do you really think I'm stupid enough to-"

"This has nothing to do with your intelligence, Puppe. Though I would like to point out that during a certain escape attempt, you elected to drag a woman approximately the same weight as you, which slowed you down and made you quite the target, instead of simply running off and reporting the incident to the police."

"I'm not the one who decided to kidnap everyone and-"

"No, but the point remains that you should have gone for help."

She shook her head, irritated when she couldn't think of a way to argue against him, and hurt to see the truth in his words. It wasn't like she had much of a chance to think at the time with him chasing her around the place.

The buzzing stopped, and the egg was taken from her hands, "I am not going to force you to use the vibrator, but I do believe you require sexual stimulation. If the device is unsatisfactory, there are others I can obtain for you."

"But I don't..." how could she explain this to Heiter of all people? It wasn't the egg itself(though that was disturbing in and of itself, considering who was giving it to her), it was being watched while using it. She'd never been one for voyeurism, either participate or get out. Not that bringing up how this started exactly put her in the mood. If anything, it made her want to do it less, were it possible. The bastard was making it out to be her fault. "I can't, with people watching."

"Then you're going to have to learn to."

"Heiter. Can we just...can we talk about it later? I've never managed to...when I'm bleeding. Okay?"

"Very well. We will wait a few more days."

She let out a sigh of relief when he moved away to place the egg up on a high shelf. "Thank you."

"I do have something else I wish to to speak with you about, Puppe.

Her heart sank, "What now?"

"...I believe I might be doing another operation on you soon."

* * *

><p>Translation<p>

Nicht, dass du bist alt genug, um hier zu arbeiten: Not that you're old enough to work here.

Du Sie erscheinen erfordern Saugen an deiner Mutter Brust, kleines dchen: You seem to require sucking on your mother's breast, little girl. "


	22. Guinea Pig

"You _what?_" the embarrassment from the vibrator was forgotten, replaced instantly with panic. Another operation? What else could he possibly do to her? Disable her arms? Cut her vocal chords out? He'd talked about that before, when she'd been attached to the other two, but that was because they were making so much noise he couldn't sleep. Surely she was well behaved enough now...well, there where some arguments here and there, but she was being good besides that, right?

Or, maybe it didn't matter what she did because he was such a sick fucking asshole.

"Calm yourself, Puppe."

She bit her tongue to keep from yelling or from saying something she'd regret. He waited until she, hands clenched, looked up at him before continuing, "When I explained the operation, I left a few details out. It was too complicated to tell you everything I was doing, so I kept it simple. When I operated on your knees, I didn't just sever a ligament to keep you from being able to straighten your legs. I severed two, shortened them, and reconnected them to make extension impossible."

So apparently he thought the three of them where too stupid to understand that. Great. Not that any of them could have heard much over that guy's screaming, anyway...

"I'm sure having your legs bent all he time must be painful. It's more than an issue of comfort, however, you are at risk for severe complications. When limbs are unable to move, their circulation lowers, and blood clots can form. Clots in the legs are particularly dangerous, due to a large artery in the thigh. Clots formed there tend to be bigger in size, and can travel to the lungs, heart, brain, or other vital organs, where the veins are smaller."

"Then why mess up our legs in the first place?" she hadn't mean to snap at him...her plan never to yell or swear at him again was failing miserably. He hadn't gotten mad yet, at least, but it was still dangerous for her, given the position she was in.

"It would be problematic if segments attempted to stand while attached to one another. It would also be easier for one segment to tear away and become separated from the rest."

She forcefully calmed her voice this time, "...so... you where going to wait until we all died of a heart attack and then replace us?"

"Nien. I was going to give you thinners."

"Why? Weren't we expendable?"

"Yes, but I wanted to find a way to keep the centipede alive indefinitely after connection."

Because of his siamese twins. "We were guinea pigs."

"...gunny pigs, Puppe?"

He was kidding, right? "Lab rats?"

"Yes. You were."

It was just so ridiculous, that anyone would decide to combine people together, and believe that it's what they would want. Because of those kids of his, what were their names? She could have sworn he'd told her. They were children, they'd been attached since birth, of course they'd be upset when they woke up and found themselves alone. But once they got used to it, they'd realize that it was better that way. They could have privacy, be individuals, instead of forever being two.

Anyone else would have comforted them and went on with their life, but no. He sees it and thinks the best then he can do for them is find a way to stitch them back together. Didn't he think they'd have a little bit of a problem with that?

But no, this was Heiter, and he was insane.

"When?" she asked flatly, giving up on her other line of questioning.

"A couple days. I want to be sure you've completely recovered from your infection before I operate."

"I don't suppose I have a choice?"

"You can sit there and let me sedate you, or I can hold you down, sedate you forcefully and punish you later."

She sighed, looking away from him, "Fine..."


	23. Issues

**AN: Upon request, I have added translations at the bottom of the page for words spoken in German. I would like to thank PLEASEIBEGYOU for their ideas. I very much appreciate story ideas, and even if I don't use them they still help me come up with other things. ^^**

**Also, quick note that this story can be found on ao3 now, if necessary.**

Despite how utterly embarrassing it was to have the doctor changing her tampons all the time, Lindsay felt almost sick when she noticed that her menstruation was reaching it's end. Heiter had been giving her steroids, saying that it'll make her stronger for surgery. She wondered if his decision to operate on her legs had just been a whim, because he hadn't been giving her the drugs before. She still couldn't believe what he was giving her. Steroids weren't for normal people, where they? They were for cheating athletes, the ones that want to get more muscles than their competition without the extra work, the ones that kept getting into trouble on the news because it was illegal.

Had he been planning on giving her blood thinners? He'd already admitted to wanting to give the centipede thinners to keep them alive, and until just a short while ago she'd been kept down in the basement. Maybe it was because she was getting out more, no longer locked away from the rest of the house?

He shifted in his sleep and a warm pressure made itself known against her back, his shoulder resting against her.

What where they now, anyway?

It was an easy question. He was the kidnapper, and she the victim. He'd mutilated her, and cut off her every escape attempt. He was her possible murderer, if she tried his patience too much. He was her jailer, he was the one in power, and she was helpless. It had been and still was a horrible situation. So why did the weight at her back feel so comfortable?

The last tampon he'd taken from her had only a little blood on it, the flow easing as it always had on that last day. He hadn't set a specific day for the surgery, but he had said he was going to wait until she was off her cycle.

She hadn't forgotten the other thing that had been put off until after her period. The egg was exactly where he's left it, untouched on the shelf. Her own self pity apparently told him that she was sexually frustrated, and maybe she was, but she really didn't want to use the thing in front of him. The thought had occurred to her that it would be easier if he used it himself... as if he would. They'd kissed what, twice? After she'd basically offered herself to him(on more than one occasion. Damn those codeine pills...)?

But it was still Heiter. He ruined her life, she shouldn't even be thinking about this. Yes, he was easier to deal with, but that didn't change the position she was in. Didn't change the fact her best friend was dead because of him. Even so...she curled up into a ball under the blankets, it had been a long time. Months since she'd even pleasured herself. The thought hadn't even occurred to her until he'd started getting so...she didn't even know what he was doing anymore. Now that her every thought wasn't centered on escape, her body was starting to get the same urges as, before all this mess started, before she'd become repulsive. She almost felt like she was in collage again, except the only guy available was the creep that watches you from across the room like's he's mentally striping the skin from your body.

This thought had been circling her head since the night he'd presented her with that stupid vibrator. He'd said he wouldn't force her, and she believed him. At least, she was sure that if he was going to force her, he would have done so when he offered her the egg in the first place. The thing was, if she simply used it, he'd get off her back, and maybe it would a put a stop to whatever it was inside her that wanted him to stop rejecting her.

A vibrator, a simple machine. She'd never used one before, but she had the basic idea about how it would work. He wouldn't actually be touching her, just pressing metal against her, so... it wasn't sex.

Right?

She felt like she was thinking that a lot. It meant nothing if she didn't hate being hugged by him, right? It meant nothing if she didn't dislike every conversation she had with him, right? She was just dealing with this situation as best she could, and she was doing pretty well, considering.

It wasn't her fault that he was literally the only person she had to interact with, it wasn't her fault that she was completely depended upon him for every little thing, and it wasn't her fault she felt more naked when he took that stupid collar off to bathe her than when he took the sweater off.

She'd only been listening to his breath for the past hour because there was no other noise in the room.

And she only rolled over to lay her head against his shoulder because she was cold.

* * *

><p>In the morning, the wad of cotton came out clean, no trace of blood at all. Her period was officially over. Even though she knew it was going to happen, she felt her heart sink a little. While part of her was expecting him to bring it up again the second she'd stopped bleeding, he made no comment other than, "It's been five days. Good, your menstruation was normal. You might have a proper monthly cycle soon."<p>

A fresh diaper was put on, and she was carried down to the kitchen where she was made to sit at the table and wait while he made breakfast. Sandwiches, her own cut into smaller pieces so she could eat it easier.

"D-did you sleep okay last night?" she asked once he'd taken a seat opposite her.

"Yes."'

"Oh..." she played with one of the pieces, square, a thin slice of meat and cheese wedged between the bread. At least she was on solid food again, instead of soup all the time. It tasted pretty good, actually.

"Are you still feeling cramps?"

"Ah, no. I feel fine."

"How is your throat?"

"Fine."

Maybe he was going to do the surgery first. Blood clots were more dangerous, after all, and then she'd have to recover. Maybe she could get away with avoiding it for awhile.

"Puppe."

"Yes?"

"Your menstrual cycle is over. You said you should be able to achieve orgasm now."

Apparently not. "Do we have to do this now?"

"You said that a few days ago."

"I know."

"You're putting your heath in danger the more you put it off."

"I'm not going to die from it, Heiter."

"You are suffering from psychological side effects that if left unchecked could result in terminal injury."

"How?"

"You could take your own life."

That made her pause. "You..." she tried again, "You're afraid I'm going to... kill myself?"

"You are not going to commit suicide because these issues are going to be dealt with."

There was a long, heavy silence while Lindsay stared at him, forgetting for a moment about the vibrator. The man. The foreign man that had been at the front of the centipede. It wasn't just Jenny that died, he had, and he'd slit his own throat with a piece of glass, had done it right in front of him. The doctor had already admitted to being upset about the fact that Jenny had suffered, had this affected him as well?

Because she was almost positive that she'd shown no signs of having suicidal thoughts. Even though he'd put her through hell and back, she'd no intent to harm herself.

"I wouldn't, I'm not... _Heiter._"

"I don't know that."

"W... why does it matter? You... why would you even.." she grasped questions already asked, questions he'd still not answered.

For once, he answered, but of course he didn't do it in English, his voice softened to just above a whisper, "Ich glaube nicht, dass du sterben, Puppe."

"I _can't understand you when you talk like that,"_

"Is the vibrator satisfactory or should I find something else?"

"The... the egg is... I don't know."

"Have you ever used a vibrator before?"

"No."

"Do you require assistance?"

She looked away from him, down at the table, fiddling with her sweater sleeve, "Probably..."

The doctor exhaled slightly louder than usual, not quite a sigh, and stood to leave the room.

* * *

><p>Translation<p>

Ich glaube nicht, dass du sterben/ I do not want you to die.


End file.
